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Effective, Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions Suitable for Early Intervention in the NDIS

Overview

This 2016 report by Melbourne University's Centre for Mental Health examines evidence-based psychosocial interventions suitable for early intervention under Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It identifies effective interventions that can improve functioning and recovery for people with psychosocial disability while potentially reducing long-term support costs.

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Developed by Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne

Individual authors

Primary Author:

  • Dr Laura Hayes (Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health)

Co-authors:

  • Dr Lisa Brophy (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Mental Health & Director of Research at Mind Australia)
  • Professor Carol Harvey (Psychosocial Research Centre, University of Melbourne)
  • Professor Helen Herrman (National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health & Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne)
  • Professor Eoin Killackey (National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health & Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne)
  • Juan Jose Tellez (Research Assistant)

Key insights

Key Insights:

  1. Social Skills Training, Supported Employment, and Supported Housing show strongest evidence

  2. Early intervention can reduce future NDIS reliance and overall costs

  3. Three interventions "tick all boxes" for evidence, choice, and recovery

  4. Family psycho-education has strong evidence but limited participant demand

  5. Peer support improves recovery aspects of all other interventions significantly

  6. Cognitive remediation shows promise but remains under-utilized in services

  7. Evidence gaps exist between participant needs and available interventions

  8. NDIS should examine family support, social skills, and peer networks

Did this resource draw on transformative evidence?

<p>This document was <strong>not</strong> based on experiential expertise. It was a <strong>literature review</strong> conducted by academic researchers and mental health professionals to synthesize existing research evidence on psychosocial interventions. The authors systematically reviewed published studies to identify evidence-based interventions suitable for NDIS early intervention, rather than drawing from lived experience or consumer perspectives.</p>
<p>his document was <strong>partially</strong> based on practice wisdom. While primarily a literature review of research evidence, it incorporated practice wisdom through involvement of experienced practitioners like Dr Margaret Grigg (Victorian Government Mental Health Branch Director) and Dr Gerry Naughtin (Mind Australia CEO). The authors also considered participant preferences, recovery principles, and real-world implementation challenges, blending academic evidence with professional practice insights.</p>
<p>This document was <strong>primarily</strong> based on research and evaluation insights. It was a comprehensive literature review that systematically examined research evidence on psychosocial interventions for people with psychosocial disability. The authors conducted detailed reviews of outcome studies, effectiveness evaluations, and evidence-based interventions to identify which approaches had the strongest research support for early intervention in the NDIS context.</p>

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Categories

Resource type

Literature Review