The Mental Health Policy Unit implementation and impact analysis team are delighted to be working with Movember on the evaluation of a $10.4 million grant fund, which targets mental health and wellbeing of Veterans and First Responders (VFR). Military veterans and first responders are at greater risk compared to the general population, for both mental ill health and suicide ideation/completion. Yet there are many gaps in the evidence[1] for what works for whom, when and how. The main objective for the evaluation is to identify those strategies that are effective, have a positive impact for VFR and their families, are sustainable and potentially scalable.

In 2021, Movember’s VFR Mental Health Grant Program, funded 15 diverse early intervention projects in collaboration with The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. Each project provides support and promotes mental health, wellbeing, and /or prevention of suicide ideation with veterans, first responders or first responder families across seven countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States).

We take an ecosystem real-world approach using novel methods, which recognises and manages the complexities, to evaluate each project individually and the grant program overall. Working closely with Movember and the 15 projects, we aim to contribute to the evidence base, and crucially the formative and summative organisational learning for a global community of practice. The evaluation will be completed in 2024.

McCreary, D. R. (2019, August). Veteran and first responder mental ill health and suicide prevention: A scoping review of prevention and early intervention programs used in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. British Columbia, Canada: Donald McCreary Scientific Consulting.

• Sue Lukersmith
• Luis Salvador-Carulla
• Rachel Davey
• Cindy Woods
• Theo Niyonsenga
• Itismita Mohanty

With our adjunct staff

• Mencia Ruiz Guitierrez-Colosia
• Carlos Garcia Alonso
• Amir Aryani
• Jose Alberto Salinas Perez
• Diego Diaz Milanes 

Project administrative support

• Nicole O’Connor

For further information or to contact the study team please email: sue.lukersmith@canberra.edu.au