Evaluation of suicide prevention activities

6.1 Scope of MDS data

Page last updated: January 2014

A total of 47 of the 49 projects included in Chapter 5 were required to collect data using the MDS during the snapshot period. Two projects, Healing Through the Map and Post-discharge Care from Hospital Emergency Departments, were not funded beyond June 2012 and were therefore exempt from MDS data collection.

StandBy ACT submitted data each month as part of the Standby Response Service project MDS data. Accordingly, analysis in this section is based upon MDS data collection for 46 projects.

As outlined in Chapter 4, the MDS comprises three components (see Appendix C for further details):

  • Program level data. Program level data reports on the LIFE Action area(s) addressed, type(s) of suicide prevention activities (universal, selective, indicated), promotion of activities, activity settings, time estimates in relation to travel, administration, etc, and good news/barriers and challenges encountered during the reporting period.
  • Individual level data. Individual level data relates to episodes of service provided to or in relation to an individual during the reporting period.
  • Group level data. This includes a broad spectrum of activities such as workshops, meetings, homework groups, community events and research/development. These group activities can vary in scale from small local events to national level projects, and can be once-off or ongoing.
All projects were required to submit program level data. Individual level data and/or group level data were also required to be submitted by projects that delivered individual or group-based services. A summary of these data requirements across the 46 projects is provided in Table 6-1.

The status of data submission and the type of data provided by each project is shown in Table 6-2.

As indicated in Table 6-2, the majority of projects submitted all required data within the timeframes required for inclusion in this Report, with only a small number submitting data behind schedule.

Analysis of the program, individual and group level data submitted by projects is presented in the following sections.

    Table 6-1: Overview of MDS data submission requirements by project

    Program dataIndividual dataGroup dataProjects%
    YesNoYes
    18
    39
    YesYesNo
    1
    2
    YesNoNo
    2
    4
    YesYesYes
    25
    54
Total projects: 46
Total percentage: 100

Table 6-2: Data submission status, per NSPP project

In this table:
  • Yes means that complete submissions were provided
  • NA = not applicable, signifying that data of this type was not required
Project name
Program level data
Individual level data
Group level data
Active Life Enhancing Intervention (ALIVE) Program
Yes
Yes
Yes
Active Response Bereavement Outreach Program (ARBOR)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Apprentices Project ACT
Yes
Yes
Yes
Apprentices Project NT
Yes
Yes
Yes
Basic Needs Project
Yes
NA
NA
Building Bridges
Yes
NA
Yes
Burdekin SP and MH Support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Community Broadcasting SP Project
Yes
NA
Yes
Community Capacity-Building and Training Project
Yes
Yes
Yes
Community Connections
-1 month
Yes
Yes
Community Connections Toowoomba
Yes
Yes
Yes
Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Service
Yes
Yes
Yes
Deadly Alive
Yes
Yes
Yes
Expanded Horizons
Yes
Yes
Yes
Farm Link
Yes
Yes
Yes
HOPE – SRA
Yes
NA
Yes
Hope for Life
Yes
NA
Yes
Incolink
Yes
Yes
Yes
Koori Kids Wellbeing Program
Yes
Yes
Yes
LIFE Communications
Yes
NA
Yes
LifeForce
Yes
NA
Yes
Living Beyond Suicide
Yes
Yes
Yes
Men's Health Information and Resource Centre (MHIRC) 'The Shed'
-1 month
-1 month
-1 month
Mental Illness and Bereavement Project
Yes
NA
Yes
MindFrame Education and Training Projects
Yes
NA
Yes
MindOUT!
Yes
NA
Yes
National Centre of Excellence in Suicide Prevention
Yes
NA
Yes
National Suicide Call Back Service
Yes
Yes
NA
NEXUS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Peer Support
Yes
NA
Yes
Phoenix Centre SP Project
Yes
Yes
Yes
R U OK? Day
Yes
NA
Yes
RAW – Rural Alive and Well Program
Yes
YES
Yes
ReachOut! Pro Website
Yes
NA
Yes
Real engagement and linking for Men in industry (RealMii)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Response to Youth Suicide in Greater Geelong*
-1 month
NA
-1 month
SANE Media Centre and Stigmawatch
Yes
NA
Yes
SPA Strategic Partnership
Yes
NA
Yes
StandBy Brisbane
Yes
Yes
Yes
StandBy Response Service
Yes
Yes
Yes
Suicide Story Train the Trainer
Yes
NA
Yes
Support After Suicide
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sustainable Personal Development for Aboriginal Men
Yes
Yes
Yes
WHO START Project
Yes
NA
NA
Workplace Training and Education
Yes
NA
Yes
Yiriman Project**
Yes
Yes
Yes

* Data submitted too late and in wrong format to be included in this report.
** The Yiriman project did not submit data for 3 out of 5 months, as the project did not operate during December to February for various reasons. In the Kimberley, law time runs during this time and weather conditions halt their on-country work. Yiriman is a small organisation with a full time staff of two, who work away from their families for 10 months of the year.

Key findings

Funded organisations were generally compliant with MDS submission requests. Despite working in sometimes difficult environments with limited capacity for administration, responses to requests for data were outstanding and allowed an excellent picture of the NSPP-funded program activity to be developed.