Medicare Mental Health Check In – Segmentation research – September 2025

About this resource

Fiftyfive5 conducted several rounds of research to inform the Medicare Mental Health Check In campaign and subsequent campaign development, building a deeper understanding of Australia’s mental health landscape and help-seeking behaviours. 

FInd out more about the Medicare Mental Health Check In campaign. 

NEIS | Segmentation Research | September 2025 | Fiftyfive5 (Accenture Pty Ltd) 

Before the service was formally named Medicare Mental Health Check In, it was known as the National Early Intervention Service, or NEIS. 

This research identified the cohorts most and least likely to seek mental health support across Australia, along with the factors that shape their trust in current and future tools and solutions. 

Methodology 

Research was conducted in stages, providing exploration and analysis of awareness, needs and use of mental health services, motivators and barriers of use, information sources, as well as identifying communications and engagement strategies to assist in advertising of the new service.  

The research used a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative online discussions (n=80) with a broad cross-section of the Australian population, as well as health professional interviews, followed by a national online survey of 5,003 adults aged 18 to 74. First Nations participants (n=9) were spoken to via face-to-face in-depth interviews. Further qualitative research was conducted with 20 participants from the agreed target segments after segmentation. 

The audience was segmented by self-reported mental health difficulties and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler Scale) scores. Segments expected to benefit most immediately from the service were: 

• The Juggler (24% ~ 3,480,000 people): moderate Kessler Scale range, with self-reported mental health difficulties ranging from none to severe. 
• The Rebounder (22% ~ 3,190,000 people): low Kessler Scale range, with mild to severe past mental health difficulties. 

The remaining segments were: 

• The Quiet Struggler (5% ~ 725,000 people): high to very high Kessler Scale range, with no or mild past mental health difficulties. 
• The Steady Anchor (15% ~ 2,175,000 people): low Kessler Scale range, with no past mental health difficulties. 
• The Endurer (34% ~ 4,930,000 people): high to very high Kessler Scale range, with moderate to severe past mental health difficulties. 

Further characteristics for each segment can be found below in the research findings. 

Findings 

The research demonstrated that participants aimed for a balanced lifestyle, but often found it difficult to protect their mental wellbeing while managing everyday stressors. Mental health experiences also varied by individual and age cohort. 

While experiences differ, several elements can help overcome psychological, social, structural and logistical barriers: 

1. Initial support: Encouraging both self-referrals and referrals from trusted people can help individuals take the first step. 
2. Awareness of services: Promoting Medicare Mental Health Check In and other supports builds top of mind awareness, so people are equipped with knowledge and resources in their moments of need.. 
3. Access to services: Clear messaging about free, timely and accessible support can help position the service as a practical option. 
4. Ongoing support: People may need continued emotional, financial or practical support to stay engaged with their mental health journey. 
5. Acceptance: Communications should reassure people that seeking help is appropriate and normal, helping reduce internal barriers to support. 

The research also found that more than one in 4 research participants (29%) had experienced moderate mental health difficulties in the past year.  

Awareness and perceptions 

The research explored current knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes relating to mental health and mental health services. Key findings included: 

• The most highly recalled mental health services were Lifeline, Beyond Blue, and Headspace and were mentioned without prompting. Additionally, these mental health services were also the most recognised with most Australian’s having a moderate to high level understanding of the services they offer. 
• The most common sources of mental health and wellbeing information over the past year were friends and family, television advertisements, Google and Facebook. 
• Almost a third of participants (30%) felt they could seek support when they first noticed signs of low mental wellbeing. 
• About 2 in 5 participants (39%) felt confident identifying early intervention needs of those close to them. Confidence could be increased through accessible mental health resources and access to professional help. 
• Specialist mental health practitioners, such as psychologists, are the most trusted sources of mental health and wellbeing information (65% of participants had already sought support from them). Other trusted sources include general practitioners (GPs) (56%), crisis mental health hotlines (e.g. Lifeline) (48%) and family (44%). Trust in AI chatbots were found to be less trustworthy, with only 12% of participants already having sought support from them.  
• Trust in a mental health service can be increased by: 
• using evidence-based strategies 
• using qualified healthcare professionals in service delivery 
• government funding or branding  
• providing the option of anonymity for those hesitant to seek help  
• providing the ability to seek help through their preferred method (digital or in person) 
• demonstrating credibility through an established track record 
• positive word-of-mouth recommendation from friends and family, and to an extent positive online reviews. 

Experience with support 

The research identified motivators, enablers and barriers to accessing support, including sources of support.  

Digital services are considered most suitable for people with mild to moderate distress, either as an early intervention, first step, or complement to existing care. These can also improve access for people who are comfortable using technology, those in rural and remote areas, and people facing barriers to traditional therapy such as cost, wait times, or stigma. Flexible referral pathways, including self-referral and clinician-assisted referrals, also help reduce access barriers. Digital programs are viewed as useful adjuncts to therapy, supporting skill reinforcement, waitlist management, and ongoing maintenance after treatment. Tailored and inclusive design is important, particularly for CALD communities, people with disability, and those with low digital literacy. 

Limited digital literacy, poor internet access, and affordability of devices/data can reduce access, particularly for older people, people with disability, low-income groups, and those in remote areas.  

The key findings included: 

• People who have accessed support before are more likely to speak with health professionals, while those who have not previously sought support would look to family and friends first for help. 
• Nearly half (48%) of those who have accessed a mental health support service found them easy to access. 
• Three quarters (75%) of people who previously sought support are likely to seek support again, suggesting that prior access may reduce some help-seeking barriers. 
• A third of people who have previously sought support identified changes in mood (35%) or adverse personal events (34%) as triggers for seeking mental health assistance. 
• Among people who accessed a mental health support service, nearly half (48%) found it easy to access the mental health service.  
• Close to 1 in 5 (22%) stated high costs, long wait times and stigma were challenges when it came to accessing mental health and wellbeing supports. 
• Structural barriers, such as cost and wait times, and personal barriers, such as feeling overwhelmed or thinking the problem would pass, prevented people from seeking help. 
• Over half of individuals who have previously sought support for mental health and wellbeing suggest they are likely to access services again (57%) 

First Nations peoples' perspective 

Different audience groups face unique barriers and require tailored approaches to engage with health and mental health services and information. Improving engagement requires targeted, culturally appropriate, accessible, and trusted approaches that address specific barriers faced by each audience rather than relying on a single communication or service model. 

For First Nations people, mental health was associated with coping capacity or surviving trauma. Safe and culturally considerate relationship-building is central to First Nations people’s trust in the support on offer. 

Parents and carers 

Among surveyed parents and carers, around half (53%) said the person they care for had used mental health services, most often due to the changes in mood or behaviour. For children aged 12-17 and adults receiving care who had accessed support, 49% had spoken to a GP about mental health. Parents and carers wanted more information about mental health, available services and external supports, while the main barriers were cost and uncertainty about when, where and how to access support for the person they care for.  

Reactions to the proposed National Early Intervention Service (now known as Medicare Mental Health Check In) 

In earlier research, the initial introduction to the proposed National Early Intervention Service, now known as Medicare Mental Health Check In, was well received by both participants and healthcare professionals. Participants responded positively to the service being free, available without a referral, and accessible by phone or online, seeing it as a way to reduce barriers to mental health support and elevate the importance of early intervention.  

Healthcare professionals viewed the service as a suitable option for younger people, regional communities, and those experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns. They identified its free access, professional delivery and CBT-based framework as key strengths. 

Building trust in the service was seen as critical to encouraging uptake. The research identified that communications should clearly explain how the service complements existing care, demonstrate evidence-based outcomes, outline training and integration with other supports, and reassure users about safeguards such as data privacy, clinical oversight and user support. Campaign messaging should also emphasise accessibility affordability, cultural inclusivity, professional credibility, stigma reduction, and clear, consistent information. 

A more detailed look at the segments 

Jugglers 

This group represents around 24% of the adult population aged 18-74. The segment is comprised of a fairly even split between males (51%) and females (49%) and is evenly spread across geographic locations. They are more likely to be aged 35-54 years and slightly less likely to be in the 55-74 years category. They are commonly characterised by having a range of competing priorities in their life, such as work, family and caring responsibilities. 

Jugglers are the least confident segment when it comes to identifying someone close to them who might need support with their mental health and have slightly higher than average levels of trust in government provided mental health services.  

Just over half (53%) of the Jugglers segment have sought mental health support in their lifetime, with 9% currently receiving support. Where they have sought support, it has most commonly been in response to changes in mood or behaviours (35%), an adverse personal event (34%) work related stress (30%) or feeling overwhelmed due to conflicting demands (29%). Those who have accessed supports are more likely than other segments to report that their experience has made them more likely to seek support in the future (63%). They are relatively confident in accessing support where needed, with 57% highlighting it is Easy or Very easy to access mental health services/support the last time they required it and 16% finding it difficult. Six in 10 (60%) say they would be likely to seek mental health support in the future where needed, which aligns with the overall average of 59%. 

Jugglers experience a range of barriers to seeking support, however, they are significantly more likely to highlight cost barriers (67%), to hope the problem will pass (66%) and to not want to admit that there is a problem (50%). Their most commonly identified trusted sources of support include Specialist practitioners, GP’s family crisis hotlines and friends. This group is also significantly less likely than other groups to trust AI and social media.  

Just under two in three (63%) Jugglers are likely to consider using the early intervention service. They also are significantly more likely to consider the service for someone they know (72%) or for their child (78%).  

FiftyFive5’s research has found that Jugglers are expected to immediately benefit from the new service due to their current moderate range in the Kessler scale, high willingness to use the service personally (68%), High awareness of health services and openness to seek help. In addition to their heightened engagement, the new service also addresses a key barrier for this segment, the cost of mental health services.  

Rebounders 

This group represents 22% of the adult population aged 18-74. The group is fairly evenly split between males (47%) and females (53%). Compared with the broader population, this segment comprises a higher proportion of people from regional areas (38%) and a lower proportion from metropolitan areas (62%). They are more likely to be aged 55-74 years and less likely to be in the 18-34 years category. Rebounders are generally more positive than the other segments, displaying higher levels of motivation to seek mental health support, and greater trust in service providers. 

Rebounders have the highest trust in government-provided mental health services, with 61% reporting trust compared to the 52% average. They also report higher levels of trust in mental health practitioners (69%), GPs (64%), crisis hotlines (57%), and family (54%) as sources of mental health information. Their most trusted sources for information about a new mental health service are health professionals (54%), federal government websites (45%), and state government websites (41%). 

For Rebounders, key motivators for using a new service include recommendations from health professionals (54%), privacy guarantees (50%), general practitioners (47%), and family or friends (43%). Their main barrier to using mental health services is a reluctance to engage with conversational AI, as cited by 40% of the segment. 

Rebounders report the highest perceived ease of access to mental health and wellbeing support, with 75% finding it easy to access mental health support services. Among those who have previously accessed support, 64% say they would be likely to seek support again in the future. This is reinforced by their higher likelihood of reporting that previous experiences with mental health services have made them more likely to seek support again, with 69% indicating this. 

Rebounders were motivated to seek support for mental health and wellbeing by almost all proposed structural and societal supports. Rebounders responded most favourably to the new service description, with significantly higher ratings in most areas. They are also more likely to see the proposed service as beneficial for people they know, with 72% reporting this. 

FiftyFive5 concluded that Rebounders are expected to immediately benefit from the new service due to their current low range in the Kessler scale, trust in government health services, high awareness of mental health services, high openness to seek support (53%) and perception that mental health services are easy to access. 

Quiet Strugglers 

Quiet Strugglers represent around 5% of the adult population aged 18-74. The segment has a higher proportion of males (63%) than females (37%). Compared with the broader population, Quiet Strugglers are more likely to live in metropolitan areas (80%) and less likely to live in regional areas (20%). They are also more likely to be aged 18-34 years and less likely to be in the 55-74 years age group. While they experience mental health challenges, they appear less connected to available mental health services and have lower trust in formal sources of support than other segments. 

Quiet Strugglers are significantly less inclined to consider using the proposed early intervention mental health service themselves. Just over half (55%) say they would be likely to use the service, which is 7% below the overall average of 62%. They also report significantly lower levels of trust in mental health services offered by the government, with 42% reporting trust, against an average of 52% of those surveyed.  

Perceptions of the proposed service suggest there may be a disconnect between how the service is intended to be positioned and how it is understood by this group. Although the service description was designed to convey that the service is intended for people experiencing mild to moderate metal health concerns, over a third of Quiet Strugglers (34%) believed the service as intended for people with severe or clinically diagnosed needs. This misconception may be contributing to their lower levels of interest in using the service themselves. 

Steady Anchors 

This group represents 15% of the adult population aged 18-74. The segment comprises 62% males and 38% females and is evenly distributed geographically. Members of this segment are more likely to be aged 55-74 years and less likely to be aged 18-34 years or 35-54 years. 

Compared to the other segments, Steady Anchors have less exposure to mental health and wellbeing information, with almost half (48%) reporting not using, seeing or hearing any mental health information across a variety of channels. They are also less likely to recognise cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with 48% identifying the term against a net familiarity rate of 74%. 

Despite low exposure to mental health information, Steady Anchors are relatively proactive in seeking support. More than 2 in 5 (43%) report that they would seek help when they first experience indications of low mental wellbeing, suggesting a tendency to act early rather than wait for issues to escalate. 

Steady Anchors are significantly less inclined to consider using the proposed new early intervention service themselves, with only 55% indicating they are likely to use it, 7% below the 62% average. This may be influenced by perceptions of who the service is designed for, as they are more likely than other segments to view the service as being intended for people with severe mental health needs (32%), although the service is actually intended for people with mild to moderate mental health conditions. 

Endurers 

Endurers are the largest segment, making up 34% of the adult population aged 18-74. The segment comprises 56% females and 44% males and is evenly distributed across metropolitan and regional areas. Compared with the broader population, Endurers are more likely to be aged 18-34 years or 55-74 years. Despite generally having awareness of existing mental health supports, a range of barriers can make seeking help difficult for them. 

Endurers were the most confident identifying early intervention needs of those close to them, with 42% saying they were extremely confident compared to an average of 39%. They also had the highest prompted awareness of Lifeline (98%) and were most likely to be familiar with the term cognitive-behavioural therapy, demonstrating their awareness of existing mental health supports. 

Despite this awareness of existing supports, Endurers have lower levels of trust (47%) in government-provided mental health services. They are more likely to have difficulty accessing mental health support services difficult, with 27% finding it Difficult or Very Difficult. Almost a third of Endurers (30%) were more likely to incorrectly perceive the proposed service as targeted at people with clinically diagnosed mental health needs.  

Cost is a main barrier for accessing support amongst Endurers. Nearly three-quarters (73%) identify high costs as a barrier to seeking support, while 64% say they are inclined to hope the problem will pass rather than seek help. These findings suggest that Endurers may delay accessing support even when they recognise a need for assistance. 

Despite their initial difficulty accessing mental health support, Endurers have a higher likelihood of seeking support in future (65%) if they have sought it previously. This suggests that previous access may help to overcome some barriers to access.