Local mental health awareness campaign nominated for research award
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is proud to announce its recent mental health campaign, 'Connect, Your Way,' has reached the finals of the Research Society's Research Awards and has been nominated for a Research Effectiveness Award in the Public Policy/Social Impact category.
'Connect, Your Way' featured compelling stories of five Murrumbidgee residents sharing their personal journeys through mental health challenges and provided resources connecting people with local services.
MPHN CEO Melissa Neal said the award nomination highlighted the dedication and effort invested in the campaign.
“Accessing appropriate mental health support can be particularly challenging in regional areas,” Ms Neal said.
“By conducting thorough research to genuinely understand and address local barriers to finding appropriate support, we were able to create a campaign that successfully connected residents with the right resources and services – effectively guiding people to ‘Connect, Your Way,’ when seeking assistance to improve their mental health.”
Mental ill health is a major public health issue in rural and remote regions of Australia. Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the number of people aged 15 years and over living with medically diagnosed depression and/or anxiety in the Murrumbidgee region is 15 per cent higher than the NSW average.
To address this issue, MPHN enlisted the expertise of Leapfrog Research to lead a series of co-design research activities. This approach included two stakeholder workshops, four discussion groups, and 18 in-depth interviews, all aimed at determining the most effective messaging, positioning, and creative approach for a localised awareness campaign.
The insights gained from this research were instrumental in the development of Connect, Your Way. A post-campaign evaluation confirmed significant increases in local awareness of the advertised support services and a strong initial awareness of the new MPHN website, mphn.org.au/connect
Ms Neal said she was proud of the campaign and the positive impact it continues to have on the Murrumbidgee community.
“We were always aiming to help our community connect to mental health resources in a way that best suited them,” Ms Neal said.
“To be nominated for a research award is an added extra and confirms our approach of ensuring our work is informed by our local communities.”
The Research Society Effectiveness Awards recognise research that makes a difference to business and social policy planning. The Public Policy/ Social Impact Award acknowledges the submission that best demonstrates the impact of research on decision-making within the public policy or social arena.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 28 November in Sydney.
For further details, please visit researchawards.com.au or mphn.org.au/connect for information related to the campaign.