Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia.
Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2021 Jan 6;16(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s13722-020-00212-8.
Mutual support groups are a popular treatment for substance use and other addictive behaviours. However, little is known about the cultural utility of these programmes for Indigenous peoples.
A three-round Delphi study, utilising Indigenous research yarning methods was conducted to: (1) Obtain expert opinion regarding the cultural utility of an Indigenous SMART Recovery handbook; (2) Gain consensus on areas within the SMART Recovery programme that require cultural modification and; (3) Seek advice on how modifications could be implemented in future programme design and delivery. The panellists were 11 culturally, geographically, and professionally diverse Indigenous Australian health and wellbeing experts. A group consensus level of 80% was set prior to each survey round.
There was 100% participant retention across all three Delphi rounds. The panel reached consensus on five key programme modifications (composition of a separate facilitator and group member handbook; culturally appropriate language, terminology, and literacy level; culturally meaningful programme activities; supplementary storytelling resources; and customisation for diverse community contexts). The panel also developed a series of practical implementation strategies to guide SMART Recovery through a modification process.
The findings highlight the importance of involving Indigenous peoples in the design, delivery and validation of mainstream mutual support programmes. Indigenous-led programme modifications could help improve accessibility and usefulness of mutual support groups for Indigenous peoples worldwide. This study is an example of how Indigenous research methods can be used alongside the Delphi technique. This approach demonstrated a way that Indigenous peoples from culturally and geographically diverse locations can participate in research anonymously, autonomously and without added burden on personal, community or professional obligations.
互助小组是治疗物质使用和其他成瘾行为的一种流行治疗方法。然而，对于这些项目对原住民的文化实用性知之甚少。
采用三轮 Delphi 研究，利用原住民研究方法进行了研究：（1）了解有关原住民 SMART Recovery 手册的文化实用性的专家意见；（2）就 SMART Recovery 计划中需要文化修改的领域达成共识；（3）寻求有关如何在未来的计划设计和实施中进行修改的建议。小组成员由 11 名具有文化、地理和专业多样性的澳大利亚原住民健康和福祉专家组成。在每轮调查之前，设定了 80%的小组共识水平。
所有三轮 Delphi 调查均保持了 100%的参与者保留率。该小组就五个关键项目修改达成共识（组成单独的协调员和小组成员手册；使用适当的语言、术语和文化水平；具有文化意义的项目活动；补充讲故事资源；以及为不同的社区环境定制）。该小组还制定了一系列实用的实施策略，以指导 SMART Recovery 完成修改过程。
研究结果强调了让原住民参与主流互助项目的设计、交付和验证的重要性。原住民主导的项目修改可以帮助提高互助小组对世界各地原住民的可及性和实用性。本研究是如何将原住民研究方法与 Delphi 技术结合使用的一个例子。这种方法展示了来自不同文化和地理背景的原住民如何能够匿名、自主地参与研究，而不会给个人、社区或专业义务带来额外负担。
