2024

A new report from the UK’s Wellcome foundation has shone a spotlight on Orygen Digital as a standout example of an innovative environment for driving digital mental health breakthroughs. 

The report, Catalytic environments to drive progress in digital mental health research, was produced to investigate and showcase programs that are creating environments that best support the development of digital mental health solutions. 

Orygen Digital was one of just nine global case studies identified as “the most compelling examples” of catalytic environments, commended for several aspects of including: 

• The opportunity for researchers to work on digital mental health research projects from inception through to largescale implementation. 
• A culture of innovation, with staff given the support to develop their autonomy and leadership. 
• Long-term relationships with philanthropic and governmental funding bodies. 
• Ties to Australia’s network of headspace and youth mental health clinics, allowing researchers to test interventions in real world settings. 
• Strong lived experience involvement throughout the organisation and its activities.  
• Strong focus on human-centred design and the needs and outcomes of young people and families, leading to high sense of satisfaction and purpose across the team. 

Read the full report HERE.

Orygen Digital was showcased alongside a number of UK research institutes such as MindTech and the Mental Health Research and Innovation Centre, as well MindSpot in Australia and the HealthTech Hub in Africa. 

Professor Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, Chief of Orygen Digital said: "We are very proud that Orygen Digital’s work and our flagship MOST platform have been featured in this important international report.

"This recognition is a testament to the innovative approach we have taken and the impact we have had over the past 15 years. By integrating digital technologies and interventions into the mental health system, we have are addressing critical system gaps and, importantly, improving young lives."

The report, prepared by Science Practice for the leading charitable foundation Wellcome, noted that digital mental health solutions can have major benefits for the public mental health care system, and could play a role in, "lowering costs of care, reducing burdens on services, widening access to treatment, and enabling more convenient and personalised care". 

However, digital health research faces significant barriers to translation. The report explored examples of ‘catalytic environments’ where this translation work was being done successfully, to provide insight into overcoming these research translation barriers.  

General Manager of Orygen Digital, Jon Myer, said the team was delighted to be included as a case study in this significant report. 

“It’s great to see Wellcome undertaking this work investigating how we can better translate research in digital mental health into real world solutions,” Myer said. 

“We’re incredibly proud of our innovative team at Orygen Digital, and we hope that our success in creating effective, evidence-backed digital mental health solutions for young people can be replicated around the world.” 

Professor Alvarez-Jimenez added that "we are led by young people’s needs and preferences, and this is the mandate we are fulfilling on their behalf".

"We believe that young people deserve nothing but the best, and our team has implemented that philosophy across all the work we do."

About Wellcome: 

Wellcome is a politically and financially independent global charitable foundation, funded by a £38.2 billion investment portfolio. Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. They support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and take on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health