Australian Indigenous Youth Research Articles

Reconnecting with the Warrior Within: Australian Indigenous perspectives on the development of a social and emotional wellbeing program.

Australian Indigenous youth are at high risk of developing mental health problems. Historical determinants and socioeconomic disadvantage continue to impact their social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and sense of identity. Previous literature suggests connecting to culture significantly impacts SEWB in Indigenous youth. Given the diversity of Indigenous culture, collaboration and consultation with specific cultural groups is required to develop appropriate and relevant psychological treatments for SEWB. The Warrior Within Program was developed to improve SEWB in Indigenous youth by assisting them to better understand their identity through participation in group-based cultural activities. This research aimed to understand Central Queensland Indigenous Development staff perspectives around (1) the process of developing the program and (2) how group-based cultural activities contributed to staff perceived improvements in SEWB of program participants. In this qualitative study, semi-structured individual interviews of 60-90 min were conducted with four Warrior Within Program staff of Central Queensland Indigenous Development. Transcripts were thematically analysed and the subthemes identified were categorised into main themes. The process of developing the Warrior Within Program, cultural and Indigenous identity, reconnecting and knowledge emerged as the four main themes. This study makes a unique and important contribution to the Australian Indigenous literature regarding the role and nature of culture in group-based programs and the importance of collaborating with Indigenous groups to increase our understanding of their usefulness and efficacy. This study also helps to bridge the gap between Indigenous ways of knowing in program development and non-Indigenous methods of evaluation. SO WHAT?: Acknowledging Australian Indigenous methods and ways of knowing are essential to the development and delivery of culturally appropriate group problems for addressing the psychological needs of this population. The methods used in this study could be used by others seeking to legitimise cultural ways of knowing.

Adolescent and young adult substance use in Australian Indigenous communities: a systematic review of demand control program outcomes

Objective:Identifying preventative approaches to substance use in Indigenous communities is the foundation for developing evidence‐based responses. This study reports the findings of a systematic review of the published literature evaluating the impact of substance use programs on Australian Indigenous youth. Methods:Evidence about the impact of substance use programs for Indigenous young people was identified from a systematic review of the literature conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Results:Only four original studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified, although a further 19 papers that described characteristics of programs that may be associated with improved outcomes were reviewed. Conclusions:Evidence relevant to the outcomes of demand control programs that target Australian Indigenous youth substance use is both weak and inconsistent. There is a need to support the type of evaluation activity required to better understand program effectiveness and build the Indigenous knowledge base. Implications for public health:These findings are discussed in relation to the development of evidence‐based practice and the type of knowledge that is likely to be of most use to those seeking to address problems associated with youth substance use.

Thumbs Up: The effective use of music in health and well-being education for Australian Aboriginal youth in remote communities

Abstract The academic literature on Australian Indigenous health and well-being suggests an overwhelming need for education to alleviate ‘lifestyle’ diseases and social dysfunction. Yet, the socio-cultural diversity of Australian Aboriginal communities provides a challenging landscape for efficacious and long-lasting support processes. The ‘Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up!’ (UJTU) programme is facing these issues from an innovative perspective. ‘Thumbs up’, addresses health and well-being in remote Aboriginal communities from the ground up by engaging in music education programmes with the youth of the community, which subsequently filters through to the broader community. Based on an analysis of the effectiveness of a ‘Thumbs Up’ case study, this article will present preliminary recommendations for working with Australian Indigenous youth and their broader communities through facilitated musical activities. Informal learning frameworks, which incorporate music-making shared between educators and community members, are shown to be a constructive means of engaging the youth and empowering them in the management of their health and well-being.

Ibobbly mobile health intervention for suicide prevention in Australian Indigenous youth: a pilot randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesRates of youth suicide in Australian Indigenous communities are 4 times the national youth average and demand innovative interventions. Historical and persistent disadvantage is coupled with multiple barriers to help...

Crime prevention and young people: Models and future direction for youth night patrols

This article presents a typology of different approaches to social crime prevention adopted by Australian Indigenous youth night patrols. Research that informed this typology occurred in a specific context, but generic observations about youth crime prevention policy are transferable to community youth crime prevention in other settings. The typology identifies several key points of difference between various service delivery models, in particular, different perceptions of relationships between crime prevention; community safety; community development; community self-determination; child protection; and youth development and welfare. Discussion teases out how political discourse frames concepts such as community governance, self-determination, paternalism, and funding accountability. The discussion illustrates how politicised decision-making has meant that policy makers responded selectively to programme evaluations, in ways that did not always maximise benefit. The typology is intended to be useful to youth crime prevention practitioners, evaluators, and policy makers.

Developing a school-based preventive life skills program for youth in a remote Indigenous community in North Australia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of development and the pilot implementation of a preventive life skills curriculum for Indigenous middle school students in a very remote community college in the West Arnhem region of North Australia. The curriculum integrates proven educational and psychological techniques with culturally informed notions of relatedness and was developed as a contribution to efforts to prevent alarming rates of suicide among remote Indigenous youth. In this paper, the term, Indigenous refers to Australians of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Design/methodology/approach – Based on reviews of research literature on school-based suicide prevention and social and emotional learning in both general and Indigenous populations, and following detailed community consultations, a 12 week curriculum was drafted and implemented in two middle school classes (combined years 7-9). Lessons were videotaped and later analyzed and detailed commentary was sought from participating school staff. Findings – The pilot program has yielded important insights into requirements of a curriculum for young people with low English literacy levels and with variable school attendance patterns. It confirmed the need to adjust both pedagogical approach and curriculum content for the program to have resonance with students from this linguistic and cultural background and with varying levels of exposure to multiple stressors in disadvantaged community settings. Practical implications – The project has identified and resolved key questions for sustainable implementation of a preventive curriculum in challenging community circumstances. Originality/value – There are to date no examples of the systematic adaptation and design of a universal preventive intervention specifically for remote Australian Indigenous youth. The project is the first step toward the formal evaluation of the efficacy of a classroom-based approach to suicide prevention in remote community schools.

Monitoring and assessing the quality of care for youth: developing an audit tool using an expert consensus approach.

BackgroundThe mental health needs of young people are often inadequately met by health services. Quality improvement approaches provide a framework for measuring, assessing and improving the quality of healthcare. However, a lack of performance standards and measurement tools are an impediment to their implementation. This paper reports on the initial stages of development of a clinical audit tool for assessing the quality of primary healthcare for Australian Indigenous youth aged 12–24 including mental health services provided within primary care.MethodsAudit items were determined through review of relevant guidelines, expert reference group consensus opinion and specific inclusion criteria. Pilot testing was undertaken at four Indigenous primary healthcare services. A focus group discussion involving five staff from a health service participating in pilot testing explored user experiences of the tool.ResultsAudit items comprise key measures of processes and outcomes of care for Indigenous youth, as determined by the expert reference group. Gaps and conflicts in relevant guidelines and a lack of agreed performance indicators necessitated a tool development process that relied heavily on expert reference group advice and audit item inclusion criteria. Pilot testing and user feedback highlighted the importance of feasibility and context-specific considerations in tool development and design.ConclusionsThe youth health audit tool provides a first step in monitoring, assessing and improving the way Indigenous primary healthcare services engage with and respond to the needs of youth. Our approach offers a way forward for further development of quality measures in the absence of clearly articulated standards of care.

Australian Indigenous youth's participation in sport and associated health outcomes: Empirical analysis and implications

Analysis of the 2012 Mission Australia Youth Survey (MAYS) finds that among Indigenous youth aged 15–19 years there is a positive relationship between self-reported participation in sport and two health outcomes: rating of overall health and risk of mental health disorder. We find that Indigenous youth who participate in sport are 3.5 times more likely to report good general health and 1.6 times more likely to have no probable serious mental illness. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to potential future research and policy. In terms of research, the analysis illustrates the utility of brief and cost-effective measures of health outcomes that could be used in future evaluations of specific programs targeting Indigenous youth participation in sport. We also discuss the potential ramifications, for practitioners and management professionals, of the particular policy paths needed to address the current gaps in service delivery to Indigenous communities, and for the development of grassroots, evidence-based, well resourced, culturally sensitive, inclusive and community-led programs. This can, in part, be achieved by ensuring youth sport development programs are shaped by Indigenous youth themselves.

Plugged in: Remote Australian Indigenous Youth and Digital Culture

For most Indigenous people in central and northern Australia the encounter with the western world has been relatively recent. Yet even in the most remote Indigenous communities, global influences pervade everyday life and new forms of media and communications are reshaping youth culture. This paper draws on ethnographic case study data from research with Indigenous youth who are participating in non-formal community-based media and music production and digital community archiving projects in remote regions. For these young adults the generational shift has been rapid, as many of their elders once lived a precontact nomadic existence. Now they are firmly part of global youth culture, taking on the role of mediating between old cultural knowledge and new digital technologies. Such generationally differentiated arenas of social practice are also changing the ways in which youth in remote Indigenous Australia are using oral and written language.

Generational Change, Learning and Remote Australian Indigenous Youth

In remote Indigenous Australia the typical mainstream youth transition from school to employment does not match the reality of community life, where traditional cultural schemas underpin the practice of everyday life and the construction of social identity. Although the developmental trajectory of the current generation of Indigenous youth has diverged from cultural norms, the introduced western trajectory of institutional learning leading to labour market employment does not yet offer a substitute paradigm. I argue that if young people are to become competent, mature adults able to shape their own futures and the economic and social viability of their communities, then attention will need to be paid, not only to institutional education and training pathways, but also to other approaches to learning. Such alternative pathways can contribute to the formation of a positive sense of self, strong cultural identities and the learning and literacy skills needed to shape Indigenous futures. This paper uses research from remote central and northern Australia to explore community-based approaches to youth learning and cultural production.

Starting to smoke: a qualitative study of the experiences of Australian indigenous youth.

BackgroundAdult smoking has its roots in adolescence. If individuals do not initiate smoking during this period it is unlikely they ever will. In high income countries, smoking rates among Indigenous youth are disproportionately high. However, despite a wealth of literature in other populations, there is less evidence on the determinants of smoking initiation among Indigenous youth. The aim of this study was to explore the determinants of smoking among Australian Indigenous young people with a particular emphasis on the social and cultural processes that underlie tobacco use patterns among this group.MethodsThis project was undertaken in northern Australia. We undertook group interviews with 65 participants and individual in-depth interviews with 11 youth aged 13–20 years led by trained youth ‘peer researchers.’ We also used visual methods (photo-elicitation) with individual interviewees to investigate the social context in which young people do or do not smoke. Included in the sample were a smaller number of non-Indigenous youth to explore any significant differences between ethnic groups in determinants of early smoking experiences. The theory of triadic influence, an ecological model of health behaviour, was used as an organising theory for analysis.ResultsFamily and peer influences play a central role in smoking uptake among Indigenous youth. Social influences to smoke are similar between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth but are more pervasive (especially in the family domain) among Indigenous youth. While Indigenous youth report high levels of exposure to smoking role models and smoking socialisation practices among their family and social networks, this study provides some indication of a progressive denormalisation of smoking among some Indigenous youth.ConclusionsFuture initiatives aimed at preventing smoking uptake in this population need to focus on changing social normative beliefs around smoking, both at a population level and within young peoples’ immediate social environment. Such interventions could be effectively delivered in both the school and family environments. Specifically, health practitioners in contact with Indigenous families should be promoting smoke free homes and other anti-smoking socialisation behaviours.

Aboriginal youth, hip hop and the politics of identification

This paper explores the identity work taking place around contemporary subcultural hip hop amongst Australian indigenous youth in two disadvantaged urban locations. Previous work on Aboriginal hip hop has been attentive to the interface between tradition and modernity. However, existing scholarship has lacked a deeper ethnographic understanding of the dynamics between youth and parent cultures, and the tensions between the two generations. This article is based on research with young hip hop enthusiasts, community activists and educators. It deals with the cultural politics of identification and sees hip hop practice as associated with a process in which Aboriginality is crystallized as a principal affiliation and as offering an account for experiences of social marginalization. Far from being an outlet for expressing a prior or essential Aboriginality, hip hop as cultural practice is associated with the production of particular identifications.

An Australian Indigenous Youth Audience and the NT Intervention

An Australian Indigenous Youth Audience and the NT Intervention

Anxiety Prevention in Indigenous Youth

Anxiety is the most prevalent psychopathology in young people, with up to 18% suffering from one or more anxiety disorders. Early prevention is important, as many signs of anxiety are often evident in childhood and adolescence. Anxiety disorders have negative consequences for academic, social and individual outcomes, and have been shown to be a precursor to depression, suicide and substance abuse. It is important to focus on a general population health approach of embedding anxiety prevention programs in the school curriculum as well as providing targeted intervention for indicated and at risk groups. Although there are some excellent evidence-based anxiety and depression prevention programs for children and adolescents, there has been little research into the prevention of anxiety in minority populations such as Indigenous young people. While it is easy to hypothesise that Australian Indigenous youth may suffer high levels of anxiety, data to support this are scant. Issues of appropriate research methodology; differing constructs of mental health; variable stressors and protective factors; and difficulties with culturally appropriate assessments and interventions complicate studies. Prevention and early intervention anxiety programs need to be culturally sensitive and adapted for Indigenous youth. This paper argues for more research to be conducted on the specific prevention needs in this seemingly vulnerable population.