Research
Hello Sunday Morning is committed to ethical, high quality, meaningful, inclusive and quality-driven research and evaluation.
Research guides the way forward
We use the findings from our research to improve Hello Sunday Morning programs and services, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our community members who want to rethink their relationship with alcohol.
We support inclusive and consumer-centred research efforts, and recognise the importance of involvement in research and evaluation by those with lived experience or are currently on a journey of change. Our Research and Evaluation Framework outlines our commitment to this insightful research and evaluation process.
Please read our Framework or one page summary if you are interested in conducting research with Hello Sunday Morning. Our Data Strategy reflects our commitment to protecting and safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of the data we hold. Make sure to also read our Research Payment Packages guidelines if you are considering submitting an application.
Quarterly Impact Report
Our quarterly impact report highlights key achievements, milestones and data driven insights from the past three months. Each report offers a snapshot of how Hello Sunday Morning is helping individuals change their relationship with alcohol and the positive outcomes of our programs and initiatives.
Daybreak Member Experience Survey Report
Thank you to all our Daybreak members who participated in the Member Experience survey in October 2024. The results are now available and such feedback will help us improve the Daybreak app.
Research Outputs
Drink Tracker supports individuals to change their relationship with alcohol
In a recent study, the Hello Sunday Morning community was invited to use Drink Tracker; a digital tool for monitoring alcohol consumption over several months. Freely available in the Daybreak app, over 70% of Daybreakers accessed the Drink Tracker, with more than 87% finding it easy to use. At the 3-month follow-up, participants reported significant reductions in alcohol intake and psychological distress. These findings indicate that the Drink Tracker is an effective tool and well-received in helping individuals change their relationship with alcohol.
The economic impact of changing our relationship with alcohol: the Daybreak program
Daybreak helps Australians to change their relationship with alcohol with access to an on-line peer community, habit changing activities and supports, and one-on-one chats with health coaches. This paper analyses Hello Sunday Morning’s Daybreak, including comparing the Daybreak app as a standalone intervention against a broader program including the app coupled with counselling. The core conclusion of this review is that the Daybreak program provides a return on investment to the broader economy in the range of 2.49:1 for every dollar provided by the Federal Government.
A Digital Intervention Addressing Alcohol Use Problems: Quasi-Experimental Randomized Controlled Trial
Alcohol use is prevalent in many societies and has major adverse impacts on health, but the availability of effective interventions limits treatment options for those who want assistance in changing their patterns of alcohol use. This study evaluated the new Daybreak program, which is accessible via mobile app and desktop and was developed by Hello Sunday Morning to support high-risk drinking individuals looking to change their relationship with alcohol. In particular, we compared the effect of adding online coaching via real-time chat messages (intervention group) to an otherwise self-guided program (control group).
Research opportunities
Would you like to test our new Hello Change program?
Hello Sunday Morning has developed the Hello Change program to support anyone who wants to make a change to their alcohol consumption and live a healthier life. This program can help you better understand your relationship with alcohol and teach you practical skills to help you make changes to your drinking. By participating, you will help us determine the effectiveness of the Hello Change program and ultimately help people change their relationship with alcohol.
If you are over 18 years of age, and would like to participate in this research, click here to access the Hello Change program. You can contact our Research Manager Katinka van de Ven (katinka.vandeven@hellosundaymorning.org) for more information.
The 'Using our Brains' donor program
The 'Using our Brains' donor program (University of Sydney) encourages community members to consider brain donation, to offer future generations the possibility of improved health. The donor program is a pre-mortem consent program inviting members of the community to donate their brain to neuroscience research after they pass away. Our collections focus on healthy individuals and people who have indulged in risky drinking behaviour during their lifetime. Healthy brain tissue is an important resource for researchers to identify physiological and chemical differences between healthy tissue and 'abnormal' changes that can occur with heavy drinking. If you are interested in learning more, please visit our website or contact medicine.uob@sydney.edu.au.
Online relationship support for couples affected by alcohol and other drug use
Are you or your partner struggling with alcohol or other drug problems and is this impacting your relationship with your partner? Do you want to improve communication skills, regain intimacy, and build more trust with your partner? Hello Sunday Morning is collaborating with Deakin University, Odyssey Victoria, Windana, and Anglicare to evaluate how online interventions can help you uncover, understand, and solve partner relationship issues. The project is still in its beginning stages but recruitment is expected to start early 2025. Feel free to contact the team at relationship-trial@deakin.edu.au for more information.
