Dudgeon Pat, Collova Jemma, Georgatos Gerry, Chang Ee Pin, Paton Elizabeth, Benson Mel, Krakouer Megan
The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, Perth, WA, Australia.
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2025 May;59(5):448-456. doi: 10.1177/00048674251328542. Epub 2025 Mar 27.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are crucial when reporting on key issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To date, there has been very little representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members speaking to the media about suicide and mental health challenges, but this is changing. This paper outlines the process and outcomes of co-creating resources which aim to increase the confidence and capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to talk to media about mental health challenges and/or suicide.
Following an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research approach, this paper elevates the voices of 18 Aboriginal (Noongar) community members with lived experience of suicide and mental health challenges. This group took part in media training, led by a respected Aboriginal social justice advocate. Following the training, the group gifted stories about experiences engaging with the media, through research topic yarning.
The results from a thematic analysis identified a justified mistrust towards the media, a desire to speak up to the media, and the need for a range of resources to support truth-telling to the media. These results informed the co-creation of a guide to support truth-telling to the media, with the aim of building the capability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share their truth in a way which is safe for them.
在报道原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民面临的关键问题时，原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民的声音至关重要。迄今为止，很少有原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民社区成员向媒体谈论自杀和心理健康挑战，但这种情况正在改变。本文概述了共同创建资源的过程和成果，这些资源旨在增强原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民与媒体谈论心理健康挑战和/或自杀问题的信心和能力。
本文采用原住民参与式行动研究方法，提升了18位有自杀和心理健康挑战亲身经历的原住民（努恩加尔人）社区成员的声音。该小组参加了由一位受人尊敬的原住民社会正义倡导者主持的媒体培训。培训结束后，该小组通过研究主题讲述分享了与媒体接触的经历故事。
主题分析的结果表明，对媒体存在合理的不信任、希望向媒体发声，以及需要一系列资源来支持向媒体讲述真相。这些结果为共同创建一份支持向媒体讲述真相的指南提供了依据，目的是培养原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民以对他们安全的方式分享自己经历的能力。
