Vance Alasdair, McGaw Janet, Winther Jo, Tootell Naomi, Patten Herb, Eades Sandra
University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Med J Aust. 2025 Sep 15;223(6):304-311. doi: 10.5694/mja2.70019. Epub 2025 Aug 11.
To assess the effectiveness of an Elder-governed cultural therapy program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people with mental health conditions.
A cultural therapy program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people was designed, delivered and qualitatively evaluated.
The cultural therapy was conducted in two locations: Royal Park, a traditional camping area for members of the Kulin Nation adjacent to the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne; and a psychology and animal-assisted therapy practice located on a rural property 50 km north-west of Melbourne.
Twenty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 7-18 years with mental health conditions completed the cultural therapy program between October 2021 and April 2024.
Yarns were conducted with the young people, their parent or carer and the cultural therapist before, immediately after and 3 months following completion of the therapy. In addition, fieldnotes and photographs were used to record the sessions. Effectiveness of the cultural therapy was assessed based on participation and engagement of the young person in the cultural therapy; their social and emotional wellbeing over the course of the cultural therapy; and their social and emotional wellbeing 3 months after completion of the cultural therapy.
All participants willingly attended and actively engaged in the cultural therapy. Social and emotional wellbeing of participants improved over the course of the cultural therapy, and 3-month follow-up sessions revealed these improvements to be lasting. Centring Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being and actively engaging Country as a co-therapist were key to the effectiveness of the therapy.
The cultural therapy was found to be beneficial for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people with mental health conditions and should be offered alongside but separate from Western mental health management.
评估一项由长者主导的文化治疗项目对患有心理健康问题的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民青年的有效性。
为原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民青年设计、实施并进行了定性评估一项文化治疗项目。
文化治疗在两个地点进行：皇家公园，这是库林民族成员的传统露营地，毗邻墨尔本皇家儿童医院；以及位于墨尔本西北50公里处乡村房产上的一家心理和动物辅助治疗诊所。
20名年龄在7至18岁之间、患有心理健康问题的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民青年在2021年10月至2024年4月期间完成了该文化治疗项目。
在治疗前、治疗刚结束后以及治疗结束3个月后，与青年、他们的父母或照顾者以及文化治疗师进行了交流。此外，还使用了现场记录和照片来记录治疗过程。基于青年参与文化治疗的情况、他们在文化治疗过程中的社会和情感幸福感以及文化治疗结束3个月后的社会和情感幸福感来评估文化治疗的有效性。
所有参与者都自愿参加并积极参与文化治疗。参与者的社会和情感幸福感在文化治疗过程中得到改善，3个月的随访显示这些改善是持久的。以原住民的认知、行为和存在方式为中心，并积极将乡村作为共同治疗师参与其中是治疗有效性的关键。
发现该文化治疗对患有心理健康问题的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民青年有益，应与西方心理健康管理并行但分开提供。
