Program evaluation: laying the right foundations

Mental ill-health is the most common health issue affecting young people, with 75% of mental health issues having their onset before the age of 25 years. Whilst there are a range of evidence-based interventions and programs demonstrated to improve outcomes in young people with mental ill-health, it is a substantial challenge to implement them and maintain their quality in the ‘real world’. One way that we can improve the quality of mental health care provided to young people is to effectively make use of program evaluation.