University of Melbourne study of Live4Life finds long-lasting benefits for young people post-school
New research by University of Melbourne finds that rural and regional young people develop valuable advocacy and employment pathways skills through Live4Life Crew participation, generating long-lasting benefits in the young volunteers’ post-school lives.
Thanks to funding from The Jack Brockhoff Foundation, in 2023/4 the University of Melbourne Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing at the School of Population and Global Health undertook research examining the impact of the Live4Life mental health leadership and advocacy program on rural and regional young people, as they make their way in study, work, and friendships following secondary school. The resulting report, ‘Catching up with the Crew’: Impacts of adolescent participation in a mental health education and advocacy program (the Live4Life Crew) on outcomes in young adulthood in Victoria, Australia was published in SSM - Mental Health Journal, Volume 7, June 2025.
Key findings:
- Crew participation enhanced interpersonal skills such as leadership, communication, public speaking, and empathy, which alumni continued to use in their study, work, and friendships following secondary school
- Participants reported maintenance of key Mental Health First Aid skills, including knowledge of mental health problems and a confidence to help others experiencing a mental health crisis
- Their own help-seeking behaviours improved during and after Crew participation
- Crew membership often reinforced participants' commitment to mental health advocacy and education beyond school
The benefits of Live4Life’s whole-of-community approach are diverse and long-lasting, layering into the experience of young people multiple protective factors, such as volunteering, social connectivity, language skills, leadership opportunities, employment pathways, mental health education and — perhaps most significantly — the acknowledgement, validation and elevation of young people’s agency in supporting their own wellbeing and that of their peers.
“It was a bit of a new way of going about things I think, talking about things and being so open about it…I didn’t realise how much I was picking up at the time probably, and how much it has helped down the line later in life.”
The prevalence of mental ill-health in young people has increased by more than 50% in the last 15 years. Over 60% of young people in rural and regional communities cannot access the mental health services and support they need. ‘Catching up with the Crew’ adds to a substantial base of evidence of Live4Life’s positive impact (including the Ludowyk Report, further work by the University of Melbourne and University of Tasmania, and a program of internal monitoring and evaluation) which consistently demonstrates that Live4Life communities are more networked and resilient, with a deeper understanding of mental health issues, there is an increase in young people seeking support for their mental health or on behalf of a friend, and adults report greater confidence in supporting a young person.