Orygen researchers are leading a collaborative project that will use computer simulation to examine better approaches to building the resilience of young people in Victoria.
The readyforwhatsnext project is mapping existing evidence about resilience in children and young people and is engaging with young people, health professionals, policymakers and researchers to develop a computer simulation model that will be used to help identify feasible, affordable, fair and cost-effective health policies that better enhance the resilience of young Victorians.
readyforwhatsnext is funded by VicHealth – The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, and is led by researchers from Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Deakin Health Economics, Flinders University and Victoria University.
Matthew Hamilton, senior policy analyst at Orygen, said increasing global awareness of the economic imperative to reduce the impact of mental illness, the particular vulnerability of children and young people to mental ill-health, and the availability of evidence-based and cost-effective resilience-building strategies had all contributed to a growing policy emphasis on fostering the resilience and mental wellbeing of children and young people.
One of the outcomes of the readyforwhatsnext project would be a simulator that could be used to identify equitable and cost-effective strategies to improve the mental wellbeing of Victoria’s young people, Mr Hamilton said.
“Simulation models are increasingly used to inform health policy because of their ability to explore the potential impact of alternative policy choices and to describe the decision uncertainty relating to those choices,” he said.
“Using the power of computer technologies and computer simulation approaches we want to identify innovative policy solutions that can both develop the resilience of young Victorians and deliver wider social and economic benefits.”