Walkern Katatdjin arose directly from the need identified by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ community for data concerning their mental health and wellbeing.

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There is very little locally-specific guidance available for services on how best to support a young person who is both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Asexual or other (LGBTQA+). This means that young people (14-25 years) who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+ may not receive the same level of health care as other members of the community.

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Young people who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+ may be at increased risk of poor social emotional wellbeing and increased mental health difficulties, but there is very little research currently. This is an opportunity for researchers to talk to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+ young people to:

• understand their mental health needs and social emotional wellbeing, and

• work with local health services to develop interventions that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+ young people say will support them.

 

Aims

• Better understand risk and protective factors for poor social emotional wellbeing and mental health among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people

• Learn how health services can support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young peoples’ mental health and social emotional wellbeing

• Document risk factors for poor social emotional wellbeing and mental health among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people

• Understand similarities and differences in local community responses to the needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people

• Co-design place-specific interventions to meet the mental health and social emotional wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people.

 

Research Methods

The project consists of 3 phases.

Phase 1: Yarn-up groups and in-depth narrative interviews in various sites in Perth, WA.

Phase 2: National online survey of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people.

Phase 3: Co-designing interventions to improve the social emotional wellbeing and mental health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people.

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Ethics

Phase 1 of this project has been approved by:

• Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) #910

Phase 2 of this project has been approved by:

• Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) #1000

• Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research Top End HREC (TEHREC) #2021-3997

• Central Australian Health Research Ethics Committee (CAHREC) #2021-3997

• Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) #04-21-924

• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) #EO231-20210114

• ACON Research Ethics Review Committee #202118

 

Governance

This project is overseen by a Youth Advisory Group made up of 11 young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LBGTQA+ people, and a Governance Committee made up of 6 respected Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people in the local community.

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