Research

Leading research on technology, young people & well-being

Everything we do is underpinned by research and evaluation.

Based on an action-based research methodology and driven by the participation of young people, Inspire has created the ReachOut.com program. ReachOut.com is informed by the public health approach to mental health and the World Health Organisation’s Social Determinants of Health Model.

These frameworks that underpin ReachOut.com both focus on the prevention of mental health difficulties and the active promotion of mental health and wellbeing by focusing on protective factors that have been shown to build the resilience of young people:

Enhancing positive relationships with peers, family and other adults;
Enabling meaningful participation;
Increasing knowledge to enhance confidence;
Promoting life and social skills, including communicating, participating, problem solving, tolerating diversity, optimistic thinking and mutual responsibility;
Providing safe and supportive environments to develop and maintain healthy communities.

Inspire is committed to ensuring that our programs are based on evidence and best practise. Our Research team is dedicated to:

Contributing to the evidence base about what works in improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing;
Building sustainable partnerships with academic and other organisations to grow the evidence base;
Systematically measuring program outcomes against program objectives and goals;
Continually improving program delivery with feedback and active participation from young people and staff who work with young people;
Ensuring that all website information is evidence-based or current best practise;
Contributing to policy debate.

Through our research partnerships with leading academic institutes, Inspire contributes to the growing literature highlighting our impact and role we can play in helping young people.

We work with young people to produce publications, evaluations, and presentations on key youth issues and to continually improve our programs. Examples of this work can be seen below.

Research finds young people smarter and safer online than adults assume

Research released on 5 April 2011, led by the Inspire Foundation, University of Western Sydney and Murdoch University and launched by the Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing (YAW-CRC) has shown that young people are much better equipped to deal with online risks than adults assume and that young people themselves are the most valuable resource for adults concerned about the online safety of their children.

The research also reveals significant benefits to young people through social networking, which helps them to build relationships with the world around them and increases their sense of community and belonging.

Download the the Living Lab Study on Intergenerational Attitudes towards Social Networking and Cybersafety.

1. Digital Dialogues