College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia.
Youth Programs, Port Hedland Local Council, Port Hedland 6721, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 May 31;20(11):6019. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20116019.
Aboriginal young people are experts in their own experience and are best placed to identify the solutions to their mental health and wellbeing needs. Given that Aboriginal young people experience high rates of mental health concerns and are less likely than non-Indigenous young people to access mental health services, co-design and evaluation of appropriate mental health care is a priority. Increasing Aboriginal young people's participation in mental health service reform is key to ensuring services are culturally secure, relevant and accessible. This paper presents first-person accounts from three Aboriginal young people who worked alongside their Elders and in a positive and constructive partnership with mainstream mental health services on a three-year participatory action research project in Perth, Western Australia, in Whadjuk Nyoongar (Country). The young people recount their experiences as participants and co-researchers on a systems change mental health research project and share their views on the importance of privileging Aboriginal youth voices. Their accounts highlight that Aboriginal young people's participation and leadership must be understood through a decolonising lens and that working in genuine partnership with the community is key to increasing their contact and engagement with mental health care and improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
原住民年轻人是自身经验方面的专家，最适合确定解决其心理健康和福祉需求的方案。鉴于原住民年轻人的心理健康问题发生率较高，且他们获得心理健康服务的可能性低于非原住民年轻人，因此优先考虑共同设计和评估适当的心理健康护理方案。增加原住民年轻人对精神健康服务改革的参与是确保服务具有文化保障性、相关性和可及性的关键。本文介绍了来自西澳大利亚珀斯的三个原住民年轻人的第一人称叙述，他们在三年的参与式行动研究项目中与长辈一起，在与主流心理健康服务机构建立积极和建设性的伙伴关系的情况下，在 Whadjuk Nyoongar （土地）工作。年轻人讲述了他们作为系统变革心理健康研究项目参与者和共同研究者的经历，并分享了重视原住民青年声音的重要性。他们的叙述强调，必须从去殖民化的角度理解原住民年轻人的参与和领导，与社区建立真正的伙伴关系是增加他们与心理健康护理的接触和参与以及改善心理健康和福祉结果的关键。
