Self-determination in programmes of perinatal health for Aboriginal Communities: A systematic review

Objective The importance of self-determination in restoring the wellbeing of Australian First Nations peoples is becoming understood. For thousands of years, Aboriginal women gave birth on Country and Grandmothers’ Lore and Women’s Business facilitated the survival of the oldest living civilisations on earth. Following colonisation, however, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices of maternal and […]

Aboriginal Practitioners’ Perspectives on Culturally Informed Practice for Trauma Healing in Australia

Colonisation continues to impact Aboriginal children and families through perpetual cycles of transgenerational trauma. To achieve culturally safe and effective healing, practitioners working with Aboriginal people must be culturally competent, yet existing research suggests culturally informed practice (CIP) is often poorly understood and implemented by many practitioners. Centring Indigenous perspectives, the present study explored how […]

Gudu-Guduwa: Healing disconnection through incorporating bush and animal-assisted therapies into therapeutic practice: A First Nations reflection

As mental health therapists, too often we see outward symptoms of lives impacted by complex trauma. Disconnection from self, others (families and community), and Country is at a crisis point. Looking to our First Nations healing knowledges, the author explores her experiences as a First Nations woman and therapist, and how she incorporates bush and […]

Understanding the Wellbeing Needs of First Nations Children in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Introduction: Despite the increasing overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter respectfully referred to as First Nations) children living in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia, little is known about their wellbeing needs. This comprehensive literature review aimed to identify these needs and the features of care required to meet them. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, […]

What Matters to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth (WM2Y): a study protocol to develop a national youth well-being measure

Introduction Adolescents face challenges associated with unprecedented environmental, social and technological changes. The impacts of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, racism and socioeconomic disadvantage intensify these challenges for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents also have cultural, spiritual, family and community capital that fosters their well-being.To date, little research […]

Critical Reflexivity in Indigenous and Cross-cultural Psychology: A Decolonial Approach to Curriculum

Highlights Critical reflexivity is a mechanism for working toward decoloniality in higher education. We analyzed Indigenous and cross-cultural psychology students? written reflections. Analyses revealed that students negotiate experiences of discomfort and uncertainty in the classroom. Findings support the value of discomfort for prompting transformations among students. We pose a commentary on the tensions inherent to […]

Use of the Westerman Aboriginal Symptoms Checklist – Youth (WASC-Y) to screen for mental health problems in Indigenous youth in custody

The primary aim of this study was to screen for mental health problems in Australian Indigenous young people in a youth detention centre using the Westerman Aboriginal Symptoms Checklist – Youth (WASC-Y). Over the study period, all Indigenous young people admitted into custody were referred for screening with the WASC-Y, a culturally validated fivescaled instrument […]

The need for culturally valid psychological assessment tools in Indigenous mental health

A clear understanding of the nature and extent of suicidal behaviour and other mental health issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations has been limited by the national failure to develop clinically and culturally valid assessments and to ensure the cultural competence of practitioners. The default position for Australian mental health researchers is to […]

Recommendations from Research into What Aboriginal Students Say Affects Their Social and Emotional Wellbeing While at University

This article will report on the recommendations from a study that investigated what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students said affected their social and emotional wellbeing. The study interviewed students from seven different universities and utilised thematic analysis to determine what the factors where. As a result, a number of strategies became apparent that could […]

Strategies for coping and dealing with lateral violence among Aboriginal people living in south-east Australia

Objective Lateral violence, a group of behaviours directed towards people of the same group, is considered endemic among Aboriginal people. Behaviours include bullying, gossiping, isolation or exclusion of certain group members, and challenges to one’s Aboriginal identity. Lateral violence impacts all aspects of one’s life. Due to its pervasiveness, this qualitative study investigated strategies employed […]

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Complex Trauma and Strengths Questionnaire: psychometric evaluation

Objective Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex trauma) describes a cluster of symptoms frequently associated with prolonged exposure to inescapable threats or abuse. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia impacted by complex trauma, there may be compounding factors, such as experiences of historical trauma, loss and socio-economic deprivation stemming from colonisation. However, there […]

The interactive effects of Indigenous identity and lateral violence on youth adjustment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

Lateral violence is the potential for members of a group to engage in practices that are harmful to other members of their own group. Evidence indicates that lateral violence can affect Aboriginal children?s social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB); however, little is known about the potential for ethnic-racial identity (ERI) to protect against harmful effects of […]

Calling out Racism in University Classrooms: The Ongoing Need for Indigenisation of the Curriculum to Support Indigenous Student Completion Rates

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students continue to experience racism in Australian university classrooms. The Reconciliation Australia Barometer report (2022, p. 5) recently noted that experiences of racial prejudice have increased for Indigenous people with 60% of Indigenous people who responded to the survey experiencing at least one form of racial prejudice in the past […]

The importance of Indigenous centres/units for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: ensuring connection and belonging to support university completion

Indigenous student completion rates remain very low relative to non-Indigenous students. Some universities have higher Indigenous student completion rates than the national average but research-based evidence of these universities as ‘success models’ is limited. Drawing on findings from interviews with Indigenous university graduates and staff as part of a National Centre for Student Equity in […]

Exploring bonding and attachment in Aboriginal families

Objective Bonding and attachment relationships are essential to how children develop in society. These relationships have primarily been understood through the “Attachment Theory” which frames parent-child relationships, and the ways a child can be supported to develop within a secure base. Attachment theory (M. D. S. Ainsworth, 1978; Bowlby, 1969), has extensive literature supporting its […]

Learning from community voices about lateral violence and lateral empowerment: a scoping review of grey literature

Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are vulnerable to racism, trauma and Lateral Violence (LV) where negative feelings and behaviours are directed towards members within their own oppressed group. Conversely, Lateral Empowerment (LE) is the collective prevention and repair of the effects of LV and promotes resilience and strength. There is limited peer reviewed […]

Workforce Wellbeing Guide: A self-reflection and self-care resource for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Kimberley

This guide is designed to provide the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) workforce in the Kimberley with information about wellbeing in the workplace. The guide focuses on the role of self-reflection and self-care in safeguarding and promoting worker wellbeing. It includes practical activities and resources that can be used in a range of settings, […]