Matterworks, a digital health media business, partnered with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) to conduct a peer-reviewed evaluation that found the Decode mental health and wellbeing program improved mental health literacy by 7 per cent and reduced stigma towards mental health by 19 per cent among Australian students and teachers.
Decode is a program designed to address the mental health challenges faced by young Australians. Decode is powered by evidence-based research from MCRI and engages students through social media-style content and lived experience influencers.
The MCRI evaluation revealed that 67 per cent of participants and 86 per cent of teachers reported positive engagement with the program.
“With youth mental health reaching a crisis point in Australia, prevention and early intervention in schools is key to long-term change. The Decode program proves that we can meet young people where they are – in schools and on digital platforms – to deliver practical, impactful solutions,” said Professor Harriet Hiscock, chief health officer at Matterworks and group lead of health services at MCRI.
“By engaging students in ways that make sense to them, we are seeing real improvements in literacy and help-seeking behaviours, both essential for tackling mental health challenges early on. This shift is critical as it enables a more open, stigma-free conversation among young people,” said Simone Darling, Matterworks research director and principal investigator.
The evaluation findings come as the Australian government considers tighter restrictions on social media use for those under 16.
“We’ve seen that the way young people consume content today has shifted dramatically. Social media is where young people spend much of their time, and Decode was designed to meet them there,” said Kylie Robertson, co-founder and chief product officer at Matterworks.
“By using a combination of digital content and influencers with lived experiences, we’ve created a program that feels relevant and engaging to students. The results speak for themselves – students are not only absorbing the information but applying it to their own mental health and wellbeing,” added Robertson.
The findings also showed that Decode empowered teachers to talk about mental health in the classroom setting – a topic they often had no training in prior to the Decode program.
Students were reported to be more open and positive about their own mental health, moving away from the stigma traditionally tied to terms like ‘mental illness.’
“Our mission at Education Perfect is to support the Australian education community, so we’re proud to see Decode having an impact on teachers and students alike. By providing evidence-based mental health education and tools, we can transform how schools learn and engage with these topics. The positive reception from schools and the tangible improvements in student outcomes shows that Decode is already making a meaningful difference in providing mental health support and education for students,” said Jonathan Morgan, CEO of Education Perfect.
“Social media isn’t going anywhere, and it’s far from black and white. The real opportunity lies in leveraging what works on these platforms to connect young people with evidence-based content. We believe there need to be tighter controls and it’s time for governments to step up and shape policies that protect young users,” said Sarah Wyse, co-founder and CEO of Matterworks.
“But beyond regulation, we need to think bigger about how to deliver the right information to those who need it most. Public health messaging hasn’t fully adapted to today’s media landscape and traditional channels aren’t always the most effective way to reach young people. That’s why Matterworks exists—to bridge that gap by bringing engaging, research-driven content directly to where young people already are,” she added.
