Australia: social and emotional well-being of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population

The Ngaa-bi-nya framework presented here is a practical guide for the evaluation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs. It has a range of prompts to stimulate thinking about critical success factors in programs relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives. Ngaa-bi-nya was designed from an Aboriginal practitioner-scholar standpoint and was informed by the holistic concept of Aboriginal health, case studies with Aboriginal-led social and emotional well-being programs, human rights instruments, and the work of Stufflebeam. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs have been described as suffering from a lack of evaluation. Ngaa-bi-nya is one of the few tools developed specifically to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ contexts. It prompts the user to take into account the historical, policy, and social landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives, existing and emerging cultural leadership, and informal caregiving that supports programs. Ngaa-bi-nya’s prompts across four domains—landscape factors, resources, ways of working, and learnings—provide a structure through which to generate insights necessary for the future development of culturally relevant, effective, translatable, and sustainable programs required for Australia’s growing and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

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Participatory community singing program to enhance quality of life and social and emotional well-being in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with chronic diseases

International Journal on Disability and Human Development ◽

10.1515/ijdhd-2012-0109 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jing Sun ◽

Nicholas Buys

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Torres Strait Islander People ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Torres Strait ◽

Community Singing

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 12-month community singing program on quality of life (QoL) using survey methods.We prospectively collected data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic diseases involved in a participatory community singing program. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a chronic disease and an average age of 51 years (range, 18–85 years) self-selected to participate in the singing group (n=45), which included a weekly singing rehearsal and a monthly performance. There were 27 people in the control group. We compared the intervention and control groups by evaluating the QoL, social and emotional well-being, health behaviors, social isolation, and loneliness at a baseline and at 12 months.At 12 months, those who participated in the singing program showed a significant increase in QoL, reduced stress, and a significant reduction in social isolation and loneliness compared with patients in the control group.The community singing program may enhance social and emotional well-being and QoL in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic diseases, and the singing program is a viable health promotion intervention program for this population.

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Using participatory action research to prevent suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py14043 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 345 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Adele Cox ◽

Pat Dudgeon ◽

Christopher Holland ◽

Kerrie Kelly ◽

Clair Scrine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Participatory Action Research ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Well Being ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

The Social ◽

Torres Strait

The National Empowerment Project is an innovative Aboriginal-led community empowerment project that has worked with eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia over the period 2012–13. The aim of the Project was to develop, deliver and evaluate a program to: (1) promote positive social and emotional well-being to increase resilience and reduce the high reported rates of psychological distress and suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and (2) empower communities to take action to address the social determinants that contribute to psychological distress, suicide and self-harm. Using a participatory action research approach, the communities were supported to identify the risk factors challenging individuals, families and communities, as well as strategies to strengthen protective factors against these challenges. Data gathered during Stage 1 were used to develop a 12-month program to promote social and emotional well-being and build resilience within each community. A common framework, based on the social and emotional well-being concept, was used to support each community to target community-identified protective factors and strategies to strengthen individual, family and community social and emotional well-being. Strengthening the role of culture is critical to this approach and marks an important difference between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous mental health promotion and prevention activities, including suicide prevention. It has significant implications for policy makers and service providers and is showing positive impact through the translation of research into practice, for example through the development of a locally run empowerment program that aims to address the social determinants of health and their ongoing negative impact on individuals, families and communities. It also provides a framework in which to develop and strengthen culture, connectedness and foster self-determination, through better-informed policy based on community-level holistic responses and solutions as opposed to an exclusive focus on single-issue deficit approaches.

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Towards culturally appropriate assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional well-being

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1039856215608283 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 626-629 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sivasankaran Balaratnasingam ◽

Lynette Anderson ◽

Aleksandar Janca ◽

Jason Lee

Keyword(s):

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Well Being ◽

Culturally Appropriate ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Torres Strait

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Strengthening approaches to respond to the social and emotional well-being needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: the Cultural Pathways Program

Primary Health Care Research & Development ◽

10.1017/s1463423621000402 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

Author(s):

Tina Brodie ◽

Odette Pearson ◽

Luke Cantley ◽

Peita Cooper ◽

Seth Westhead ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Determinants Of Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Well Being ◽

Determinants Of Health ◽

Torres Strait Islander People ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

The Social ◽

Torres Strait

Abstract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic health represents the interconnection of social, emotional, spiritual and cultural factors on health and well-being. Social factors (education, employment, housing, transport, food and financial security) are internationally described and recognised as the social determinants of health. The social determinants of health are estimated to contribute to 34% of the overall burden of disease experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Primary health care services currently ‘do what it takes’ to address social and emotional well-being needs, including the social determinants of health, and require culturally relevant tools and processes for implementing coordinated and holistic responses. Drawing upon a research-setting pilot program, this manuscript outlines key elements encapsulating a strengths-based approach aimed at addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic social and emotional well-being. The Cultural Pathways Program is a response to community identified needs, designed and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and informed by holistic views of health. The program aims to identify holistic needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the starting point to act on the social determinants of health. Facilitators implement strengths-based practice to identify social and cultural needs (e.g. cultural and community connection, food and financial security, housing, mental health, transport), engage in a goal setting process and broker connections with social and health services. An integrated culturally appropriate clinical supervision model enhances delivery of the program through reflective practice and shared decision making. These embedded approaches enable continuous review and improvement from a program and participant perspective. A developmental evaluation underpins program implementation and the proposed culturally relevant elements could be further tailored for delivery within primary health care services as part of routine care to strengthen systematic identification and response to social and emotional well-being needs.

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Psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L for aboriginal Australians: a multi-method study

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01718-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pedro Henrique Ribeiro Santiago ◽

Dandara Haag ◽

Davi Manzini Macedo ◽

Gail Garvey ◽

Megan Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Reference Group ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Well Being ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Future Research ◽

Partial Credit Model ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Torres Strait

Abstract Introduction In Australia, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been adopted in national population surveys to inform policy decisions that affect the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. However, Western-developed HRQoL instruments should not be assumed to capture Indigenous conceptualization of health and well-being. In our study, following recommendations for cultural adaptation, an Indigenous Reference Group indicated the EQ-5D-5L as a potentially valid instrument to measure aspects of HRQoL and endorsed further psychometric evaluation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the construct validity and reliability of the EQ-5D-5L in an Aboriginal Australian population. Methods The EQ-5D-5L was applied in a sample of 1012 Aboriginal adults. Dimensionality was evaluated using Exploratory Graph Analysis. The Partial Credit Model was employed to evaluate item performance and adequacy of response categories. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to investigate discriminant validity regarding chronic pain, general health and experiences of discrimination. Results The EQ-5D-5L comprised two dimensions, Physiological and Psychological, and reliability was adequate. Performance at an item level was excellent and the EQ-5D-5L individual items displayed good discriminant validity. Conclusions The EQ-5D-5L is a suitable instrument to measure five specific aspects (Mobility, Self-Care, Usual activities, Pain/Discomfort, Anxiety/Depression) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HRQoL. A future research agenda comprises the investigation of other domains of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HRQoL and potential expansions to the instrument.

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A scoping review about social and emotional wellbeing programs and services targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Australia: understanding the principles guiding promising practice

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09730-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Himanshu Gupta ◽

Noemi Tari-Keresztes ◽

Donna Stephens ◽

James A. Smith ◽

Emrhan Sultan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Program Planning ◽

Promising Practices ◽

Emotional Wellbeing ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Torres Strait ◽

Social And Emotional Wellbeing

Abstract Background Multiple culturally-oriented programs, services, and frameworks have emerged in recent decades to support the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people in Australia. Although there are some common elements, principles, and methods, few attempts have been made to integrate them into a set of guidelines for policy and practice settings. This review aims to identify key practices adopted by programs and services that align with the principles of the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017–2023. Methods A comprehensive review of electronic databases and organisational websites was conducted to retrieve studies of relevance. Twenty-seven publications were included in the review. Next, we identified promising practices through a collaborative review process. We then used the principles articulated in the above-mentioned framework as the basis to complete a framework analysis. This enabled us to explore the alignment between current scholarship about SEWB programs and services with respect to the principles of the framework. Results We found there was a strong alignment, with selected principles being effectively incorporated into most SEWB program and service delivery contexts. However, only one study incorporated all nine principles, using them as conceptual framework. Additionally, ‘capacity building’, ‘individual skill development’, and ‘development of maladaptive coping mechanisms’ were identified as common factors in SEWB program planning and delivery for Aboriginal people. Conclusion We argue the selective application of nationally agreed principles in SEWB programs and services, alongside a paucity of scholarship relating to promising practices in young people-oriented SEWB programs and services, are two areas that need the urgent attention of commissioners and service providers tasked with funding, planning, and implementing SEWB programs and services for Aboriginal people. Embedding robust participatory action research and evaluation approaches into the design of such services and programs will help to build the necessary evidence-base to achieve improved SEWB health outcomes among Aboriginal people, particularly young people with severe and complex mental health needs.

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Barriers and Solutions to the Coverage of Mental Health and Well-being Stories in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities

Asia Pacific Media Educator ◽

10.1177/1326365x13510097 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 43-62

Author(s):

Heather Stewart ◽

Judith Griffiths ◽

Pauline Mulligan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Well Being ◽

Torres Strait ◽

Health And Well Being

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Resetting the Narrative in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition Research

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa080 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Annabelle Wilson ◽

Roland Wilson ◽

Robyn Delbridge ◽

Emma Tonkin ◽

Claire Palermo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Tenure ◽

Food Systems ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Production Systems ◽

Well Being ◽

Government Policies ◽

Aboriginal Peoples ◽

Australian Aboriginal ◽

Nutrition Research ◽

Torres Strait

ABSTRACT As the oldest continuous living civilizations in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have strength, tenacity, and resilience. Initial colonization of the landscape included violent dispossession and removal of people from Country to expand European land tenure and production systems, loss of knowledge holders through frontier violence, and formal government policies of segregation and assimilation designed to destroy ontological relationships with Country and kin. The ongoing manifestations of colonialism continue to affect food systems and food knowledges of Aboriginal peoples, and have led to severe health inequities and disproportionate rates of nutrition-related health conditions. There is an urgent need to collaborate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to address nutrition and its underlying determinants in a way that integrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ understandings of food and food systems, health, healing, and well-being. We use the existing literature to discuss current ways that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are portrayed in the literature in relation to nutrition, identify knowledge gaps that require further research, and propose a new way forward.

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