Setting

This study is led by researchers at Orygen in Melbourne, Australia. Orygen is a youth mental health organisation with expertise in research, policy, education, and innovations in care. Since 1984, Orygen has been working side-by-side with young people to reduce the impact that mental ill-health has on young people, their families and society. Orygen services the north and west metropolitan areas of Melbourne, which, with a population of approximately 1.67 million, is one of the fastest growth corridors in Australia [39, 40]. It includes 31% of the state’s total population [40] and 11 of Melbourne’s 14 most disadvantaged municipalities, and reports high levels of mental illness [39, 40].

Orygen research staff are part of the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne. This project is a partnership with Lifeline Australia and the Department of Education and Training Victoria. Other collaborators are the University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Deakin University, and the University of Auckland.

The catchment area for the current study aligns with the four geographical areas that comprise north and west metropolitan Melbourne, according to the regional model operated by the Department of Education and Training Victoria and the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria as well as Orygen’s clinical catchment area [41, 42]. Mainstream secondary schools that are located in the study catchment area and have year 10 students enrolled will be eligible as study sites; at the time of publication, 141 schools meet these criteria. A list of participating schools will be maintained.