Explore your mental wellbeing with Headlight

COVID-19 has made many of us realise that we live in an unpredictable world, and we understand that you might be navigating uncertain times right now. While we all respond to these circumstances in our own ways, prioritising personal wellbeing during this time is important.

There’s always more to know about your mental wellbeing and it may surprise you how simple actions can have significant benefits.

We are pleased to announce that our life insurer, TAL is making available to all Rest members, at no charge, an online mental health tool called Headlight, where you can explore your mental wellbeing in only 4 steps.


How does it work?

Headlight is a secure, online tool that asks evidence-based questions to identify your mental health risk factors and provide you with a wellbeing score.

1. It’s designed to shine a light on your potential mental health blind spots, and then arm you with specific resources and actions you can use to navigate and manage your mental wellbeing now and into the future.

2. Headlight was developed by TAL’s Innovation Team, in partnership with The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre.

Questions and Answers

Who is TAL? What role did TAL and the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre play in this program?


TAL Life Limited (TAL) is one of Australia's leading life insurance specialists and is the life insurance provider for Rest.

Headlight was developed by TAL’s Innovation Team, in partnership with The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre. The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre provided research and consultation on the Headlight tools’ development and contributed their ongoing expertise and research in psychological distress and mental health risk factors including the tool’s unique prediction algorithm.

How is privacy/confidentiality being managed through the program?


In order to guarantee absolute privacy, Headlight has been built in a way that ensures no personal or identifying member data is collected.

Participants will not be identified and the information they provide will remain anonymous. TAL and Rest will not receive any data relating to members who participated in the Headlight initiative apart from the overall aggregated results of the research and analysis done by the Brain and Mind Centre.

If they wish, participating members can choose to contribute their anonymous responses to ongoing research conducted by the University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Centre around the mental wellbeing of Australians.

What will happen if I choose to contribute to the University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Centre research?


The University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Centre is conducting a research study to explore characteristics that are associated with the uptake of extra resources after receiving personal mental health feedback online.

If you choose to contribute to their research, your non-personally identifiable information (i.e. the research team will not know it is you) from Headlight will be combined with all the other members who agree and provided to Professor Glozier at the University of Sydney. Participation in this research study is voluntary.

Will TAL be offering this program and Tool to other superannuation partners?


Yes, Headlight has been offered to other super fund providers, where TAL is the insurer, in response to the mental health impacts of COVID-19, with an aim to support members who have drawn on TERS (Temporary Early Release Scheme).