Carers, The Stories Behind the Stats
YEAR
2019
CLIENT
Arafmi Queensland
INDUSTRY
Mental Health / Carer Support / Advocacy
SERVICES
Research design, community engagement, insights reporting, communications strategy, campaign messaging
The challenge
In Australia, more than 240,000 people care for someone with a mental illness. Most of them do it unpaid. Many do it invisibly.
Arafmi knew what the data said. But what the system wasn’t hearing, was how it felt.
Carers told stories of exhaustion, loneliness, red tape, and being treated as “just family.” They wanted to be recognised as part of the care team. But there was no mechanism in place to hear them properly, let alone value them.
Arafmi approached Spinifex with a powerful but difficult brief:
Help us give carers a voice.
Help us build a case that can’t be ignored.
Discovery
We quickly understood this was more than a research brief.
It was a moment of advocacy.
To be effective, the project had to do three things:
- Surface clear, quantitative insights that would hold up in health policy conversations
- Capture the emotional and practical realities of caring—not just statistics
- Create momentum for a wider movement—not just another report
We needed to talk to carers in a way that made them feel heard. And then build a message powerful enough to speak for them when they couldn’t be in the room.
Design
We designed a mixed-methods research project that balanced evidence with empathy.
Our approach included:
- A detailed quantitative survey of Queensland carers
- In-depth qualitative interviews to draw out the emotional impact
- Focus groups across different regions and caring situations
- A communications lens applied throughout: how would this insight live beyond the page?
We built in trauma-informed practices, anonymous response pathways, and storytelling techniques to make the process itself feel respectful and validating.
This wasn’t just data collection. It was dignified listening.
Delivery
We worked alongside the Arafmi team from design to delivery—ensuring the research outputs could inform advocacy, campaigns, and internal planning.
Deliverables included:
- A comprehensive insights report combining data, quotes and key messages
- Visual storytelling assets for campaign use
- Strategic messaging and support for the #BecomingVisible campaign
- Presentation-ready summaries to support stakeholder engagement and funding conversations
- A repeatable research model Arafmi could use beyond the project
The report became the basis for briefings with government, health providers and peer organisations. But more importantly, it became something carers saw themselves in.
Results
Elevated unheard voices
Carers who often felt invisible saw their stories reflected—truthfully, powerfully—in print, in policy briefs, and in campaign materials.
Built a message that travelled
#BecomingVisible didn’t just describe the problem—it became a shared identity and rallying point.
Informed a long-term advocacy strategy
The insights helped shape how Arafmi engages with government, health providers and broader community networks.
What made this project truly meaningful?
It was the stories we were honoured to hear—and the trust carers placed in us to share them with care.
Increased recognition of carers in the mental health system
While systemic change is ongoing, the research laid a strong foundation for better inclusion, language and support.
That responsibility stayed with us long after the report was published.
“You asked questions that no one ever has. That’s what made me cry.”
Need to uncover the human truth behind a complex issue?
We’ll help you listen deeply, tell the story with care—and make it matter.