Help us in understanding the needs of families and children. Our survey provides valuable insights that drive positive change.
The third Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing
Understanding Young Minds Nationwide
The third Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing
Young Minds: Our Future is a national survey on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Australia.
It’s been over 10 years since the last survey, Young Minds Matter, was done! We need to know how young people are doing today so we can better support kids and young people, now and in the future.
The survey’s findings will help shape healthcare services and school programs that support Australia’s children and young people in families just like yours.
Support from headspace, Beyond Blue, and the Future They Believe In
“As CEO of Beyond Blue, the national anxiety and depression initiative, I’m delighted to be an ambassador of Young Minds: Our Future, the third Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing. At Beyond Blue we focus on making it easier for people to feel better earlier, get well and stay well. Our work is informed by science and high-quality data so studies like this are important.
Young Minds: Our Future is a vital national survey that will help us better understand the experiences, challenges, and wellbeing of children and adolescents across the country. Surveys like this help the mental health sector understand what’s happening for our young people by providing valuable data and insights that can be used to guide policy decisions and channel resources where they’re going to be most effective.
We know that half of all mental health conditions emerge before the age of 14. Early action matters — and that starts with understanding the experiences of children and adolescents.
If your family is invited to take part in the survey, I encourage you to say yes. Your participation will help build a clearer picture of what young Australians are going through and ensure we can create a future where every young person has the support they deserve.”
Georgie Harman, Chief Executive Officer, Beyond Blue
“As CEO of headspace, I’m glad to support Young Minds: Our Future, the third Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing. headspace was created in 2006 in response to evidence that the existing health system needed to be much more accessible and effective for young people with mental and substance use disorders. The establishment and expansion of headspace has been supported by data showing the needs in the community for readily accessible services.
Times have changed; pressures have changed. Our society continues to change. For headspace and everyone who works with children and young people and their families to provide the best possible support, we need to know how our children and young people are dealing with today’s challenges, and what kinds of support they need.
If you are asked to participate in the survey, please consider helping us to understand what our young people are going through. With your help we can get a better idea of what young people are going through today, and how we can ensure all young people in Australia have the opportunity to flourish.
Thank you for helping us to shape our kids’ future for the better.”
Jason Trethowan, Chief Executive Officer, headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation Ltd
What we’re doing
Around 6,500 households across Australia will participate in the survey. If you have a child aged 4-17 in your household, you may be invited to take part. All addresses are randomly selected to ensure a representative and diverse sample.
This means that every selected household plays a vital role in helping us understand the experiences of Australian children and teenagers today.
Approach Households
Families with children aged 4–17 are invited to take part.
Conduct Interviews
Trained Roy Morgan interviewers carry out face-to-face interviews nationwide.
Gather Insights
Data is collected on mental health, daily life, service use wellbeing, positive childhood experiences and much more.
Analyse Results
Researchers examine trends, challenges and protective factors.
Inform Policy
Findings guide policy, services, and future support.
Together
Our Team
Meet the passionate individuals behind Young Minds: Our Future
General FAQs
Still have questions about participating in YMOF?
The study is funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Young Minds: Our Future aims to provide updated and current information about the mental health of young Australians. The data collected from this survey will inform policies and help health professionals understand the factors that influence the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
The study is led by Professor David Lawrence at Curtin University, in collaboration with Associate Professors Divna Haslam and Holly Erskine from The University of Queensland and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR).
Roy Morgan is a leading Australian market research company based in Melbourne. They gather information about the social and political trends of the nation. Roy Morgan has more than 80 years of experience, collecting accurate and meaningful data for researchers not just nationally, but internationally too.
Roy Morgan worked along side the Young Minds Matter team in 2013 and are now continuing their help with Young Minds: Our Future. To learn more about Roy Morgan and YMOF visit Roy Morgan’s website.
Parents or carers will be asked to do a face-to-face interview with a trained Roy Morgan interviewer. It takes an average of 60 minutes, but it may be longer or shorter depending on your family situation. Usually these interviews will take place in your home but you can also choose to do these somewhere else.
If you have a young person between the ages of 11 and 17 in your family, they may be invited to complete an online questionnaire on their own using a tablet that is provided. This usually takes about 30 minutes. Ideally, this takes place at the same time the parent or carer is doing their own interview.
For more information about participating as a parent or carer, please visit our Information for Parents and Carers Page.
If invited, you will be asked to take part in completing a questionnaire on your own.
Anyone in your family including your parents will not be able to see your answers.
To find out more about participating as a young person, visit our Information for Young People page.
After the study, your de-identified data, combined with the de-identified data of other families, will be stored in a secure Australian data repository and may be used by other approved researchers for future studies. This data will not include your name or any identifying information.
No information you provide will be linked with your personal identifying information. It will not be shared with schools, Centrelink or other government bodies linked with your name.
To learn more about the data linkage process, visit our Information about Data Linkage page.
Lead Institutions
The Young Minds: Our Future study is proud to partner with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Curtin University, The University of Queensland, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Roy Morgan Research on this important project.
