Kidsmatter Primary Evaluation: Technical Report And User Guide, Katherine Dix, John P. Keeves, Phillip T. Slee, Michael J. Lawson, Alan Russell, Helen Askell-Williams, Grace Skrzypiec, Laurence Owens, Barbara Spears
Sep 2019
Kidsmatter Primary Evaluation: Technical Report And User Guide, Katherine Dix, John P. Keeves, Phillip T. Slee, Michael J. Lawson, Alan Russell, Helen Askell-Williams, Grace Skrzypiec, Laurence Owens, Barbara Spears
Dr Katherine Dix
This Technical Report and User Guide is the culmination of an evaluation investigating the effectiveness of KidsMatter Primary, involving over 5000 participants in 100 Australian primary schools over a two year period. It brings together an extensive data gathering exercise and presents technical aspects of the statistical and thematic analyses used in the KidsMatter Evaluation Final. The series of data files and the analysis in which the files have been used, are from the KidsMatter Evaluation Whole Cohort Longitudinal Study (predominantly quantitative data) and the Stakeholder and Student Voice Studies (qualitative data), in addition to data obtained from Project Officers …
Population-Level Approaches To Increasing Mental Health And Wellbeing In Schools: Kidsmatter And Mindmatters, Katherine Dix
May 2015
Population-Level Approaches To Increasing Mental Health And Wellbeing In Schools: Kidsmatter And Mindmatters, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
This presentation showcases the continuing expansion of the KidsMatter and MindMatters national initiatives for student mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention in primary and secondary schools across Australia – now in over 3000 schools. As part of a broad approach to reducing problem behaviour, such as bullying, KidsMatter and MindMatters use best-practice blended learning approaches that raise school capacity. Focus is given to the KidsMatter and MindMatters strategies that support schools to reduce bullying by developing whole-school policy, prevention and management strategies. Evidence from KidsMatter and MindMatters schools is presented. It demonstrates potential increases in staff understanding and confidence …
Optimising The Wellbeing Of Children Through A National Whole-School Approach To Mental Health Promotion That Engages Families And Communities, Katherine Dix
Oct 2014
Optimising The Wellbeing Of Children Through A National Whole-School Approach To Mental Health Promotion That Engages Families And Communities, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
This presentation explores what it has taken to achieve student wellbeing in over 2000 KidsMatter Primary schools and pre-schools across Australia by engaging families and community from the outset. KidsMatter is Australia’s mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative for children, and is principally delivered by Principals Australia Institute (PAI) with funding from the Department of Health and Beyondblue. A core feature of the KidsMatter framework is a whole-schools approach, which recognises that children’s wellbeing is best supported when families and schools work together and utilize broader community expertise and services. A mantra of KidsMatter is ‘Action within and …
Every Face Has A Place: Disability, Mental Health And Kidsmatter, Katherine Dix
Oct 2014
Every Face Has A Place: Disability, Mental Health And Kidsmatter, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
Consideration is given about why children with additional needs are at a greater risk of mental health difficulties, and how schools can promote mental health and wellbeing in children who have additional needs. The session also considers how the KidsMatter framework guides schools through a whole-school approach that promotes a positive school community, develops children’s social and emotional skills, strengthens parents and carer engagement, and assists children experiencing difficulties, particularly those with special needs. Key principles for supporting children with disabilities to participate and be included at school are discussed, along with key findings from the Ministerial Advisory Committee: Students …
Disability And Children’S Mental Health Through The Kidsmatter Lens, Katherine Dix, Paul Cahalan
Jun 2014
Disability And Children’S Mental Health Through The Kidsmatter Lens, Katherine Dix, Paul Cahalan
Dr Katherine Dix
In this workshop, we present evidence and look at why children with additional needs are at a greater risk of mental health difficulties, and how schools can promote mental health and wellbeing in children who have additional needs. The session considers how the KidsMatter framework guides schools through a whole-school approach that promotes a positive school community, develops children’s social and emotional skills, strengthens parents and carer engagement, and assists children experiencing difficulties. Key principles for supporting children with disabilities to participate and be included at school are discussed, along with key findings from the Ministerial Advisory Committee: Students with …
Mental Health Promotion And Wellbeing In Schools: Everyone's Right To Feel Safe, Katherine Dix, Tracy Zilm
Mar 2014
Mental Health Promotion And Wellbeing In Schools: Everyone's Right To Feel Safe, Katherine Dix, Tracy Zilm
Dr Katherine Dix
KidsMatter and MindMatters are national initiatives that support student mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention in 4700+ primary and secondary schools across Australia. As part of a broad approach to reducing problem behaviour, such as bullying, KidsMatter and MindMatters offer resources and expertise. This paper presents evidence that these initiatives are making a difference to the lives of students with regard to reductions in bullying and harassment. Findings suggest that students feel safer in schools that have in place, opportunities to develop their skills to deal with bullying. Focus is given to strategies that support schools to reduce bullying …
Mental Health Promotion And Early Intervention In Rural And Remote Australia Through The Kidsmatter Initiative, Katherine Dix, Stephen Mcdonald
Sep 2013
Mental Health Promotion And Early Intervention In Rural And Remote Australia Through The Kidsmatter Initiative, Katherine Dix, Stephen Mcdonald
Dr Katherine Dix
This presentation showcases the suite of KidsMatter mental health promotion initiatives as an exemplar of government investment in rural and remote communities. KidsMatter is a continuous improvement framework that supports early childhood education and care services (ECEC) and primary schools to promote children's mental health and wellbeing. The aim of KidsMatter is to enable educational settings to implement evidence-based mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention strategies that also facilitate partnerships with mental health service providers. KidsMatter is currently being implemented in over 1600 ECEC services and schools nation-wide, with 45% being located in rural or remote settings.
Consideration is …
Young Children's Mental Health Outcomes: Flinders University Evaluation Of An Australia-Wide 2-Year Mental Health Promotion Initiative In Early Childhood And Care Settings, Helen Askell-Williams, Rosalind Murray-Harvey, Phillip Slee, Katherine Dix, Grace Skrzypiec
Aug 2013
Young Children's Mental Health Outcomes: Flinders University Evaluation Of An Australia-Wide 2-Year Mental Health Promotion Initiative In Early Childhood And Care Settings, Helen Askell-Williams, Rosalind Murray-Harvey, Phillip Slee, Katherine Dix, Grace Skrzypiec
Dr Katherine Dix
In this paper we report on associations between the KidsMatter (2013) two-year mental health promotion initiative in Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) services and young children’s mental health. Using a mixed method approach, data was collected on four occasions from a nationally representative sample of 111 ECEC services. Findings showed that by the end of the two-year initiative there were practically significant improvements in children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Students With Special Needs: State Of The Nation, Katherine Dix
Oct 2011
Students With Special Needs: State Of The Nation, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
This presentation draws key findings from three nation-wide, federally funded, research projects conducted in Australia over the last six years. It brings together data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, the KidsMatter Primary for Students with a Disability, which was a side-project of the KidsMatter Primary Evaluation, and preliminary data from the KidsMatter Early Childhood Evaluation. In all three projects, children’s disability status was collected, along with parent/caregiver assessment of children’s mental health as being ‘normal’, ‘borderline’, or ‘abnormal’ according to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Differences in mental health status due to age and extent of disability, touching …
Kidsmatter Evaluation: Producing Evidence-Based Research That Matters, Katherine Dix
Dec 2010
Kidsmatter Evaluation: Producing Evidence-Based Research That Matters, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
It is well accepted that education is positively related to health, and that schools can play a key role in promoting healthy behaviours and attitudes. Improving our understanding of the relationship between education and health will help to identify where interventions, such as KidsMatter, are most appropriate and effective in mproving both individual and population health. KidsMatter Primary is the Australian mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative. As an intervention, KidsMatter acts to make this relationship explicit, by providing an educative framework to promote student mental health and wellbeing, which further facilitates a cycle of improved educational and …
Students With A Disability: The Potential Of Kidsmatter, Katherine Dix
Dec 2010
Students With A Disability: The Potential Of Kidsmatter, Katherine Dix
Dr Katherine Dix
This chapter draws key findings from a South Australian study, KidsMatter for Students with a Disability, in order to extend the discussion on whether whole-school mental health promotion initiatives are equally supportive of students with and without a disability. This discussion contributes to overcoming the lack of evidence-based research in this area and proposes new opportunities to better support all students with disabilities, whether identified or unrecognised.
Implementing A New Initiative In Mental Health In Australian Primary Schools, Michael Lawson, Helen Askell-Williams, Katherine Dix, Phillip Slee, Grace Skrzypiec, Barbara Spears
Oct 2009
Implementing A New Initiative In Mental Health In Australian Primary Schools, Michael Lawson, Helen Askell-Williams, Katherine Dix, Phillip Slee, Grace Skrzypiec, Barbara Spears
Dr Katherine Dix
Student wellbeing is of central concern for parents/caregivers and teachers and for state and national governments. In Australia in recent times several major initiatives have been undertaken to address the area of student mental health, including the KidsMatter Initiative. Across 2007-8 a trial of KidsMatter was carried out in 101 schools across Australia. Part of the roll-out of KidsMatter was a detailed evaluation of its implementation. Thus, in this paper we report on findings associated with the implementation of the KidsMatter Initiative. Underpinned by a framework of quality, fidelity and dosage we used Latent Class Analysis to create an Implementation …
Early Challenges In Evaluating The Kidsmatter National Mental Health Promotion Initiative In Australian Primary Schools, Helen Askell-Williams, Alan Russell, Katherine Dix, Phillip Slee, Barbara Spears, Michael Lawson, Laurence Owens, Kelvin Gregory
Dec 2007
Early Challenges In Evaluating The Kidsmatter National Mental Health Promotion Initiative In Australian Primary Schools, Helen Askell-Williams, Alan Russell, Katherine Dix, Phillip Slee, Barbara Spears, Michael Lawson, Laurence Owens, Kelvin Gregory
Dr Katherine Dix
This article describes, analyses, and reflects upon the challenges of planning and conducting the evaluation of the KidsMatter Initiative (KMI) in Australian primary schools during the first year of the two-year initiative. The purpose of the evaluation is to inform the Australia-wide rollout of the KMI. The discussion is arranged under four headings: (a) conceptual challenges, (b) design challenges, (c) practical implementation challenges, and (d) managing collaborative complexity. Emphasis is placed on how the challenges were theorised as a basis for resp onding to the requirements of the evaluation. Conclusions include recognising and enabling contributions from diverse stakeholders; utilising the …
