Project Yarn Circle: development and pilot evaluation of a cultural connection suicide prevention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
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| Title: | Project Yarn Circle: development and pilot evaluation of a cultural connection suicide prevention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. |
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| Authors: | Gibson, Mandy, Rolls, Charles, Robson, Mark, Ward, Raelene, Stuart, Jaimee, Lambden, Debbie |
| Source: | Australian Psychologist. Dec2024, Vol. 59 Issue 6, p508-522. 15p. |
| Subjects: | Suicide prevention, Cultural awareness, Self-esteem testing, Life, Human services programs, Medical care of indigenous peoples, Research funding, Suicidal ideation, Group identity, Evaluation of human services programs, Pilot projects, Cultural competence, Questionnaires, Culture, Descriptive statistics, Cultural values, Aboriginal Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, Teenagers' conduct of life, Pre-tests & post-tests, Attitude (Psychology), Government programs, School mental health services, Factor analysis, Student attitudes, Psychosocial factors, Well-being, Self-perception, Adolescence |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| Abstract: | Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people experience markedly higher suicide mortality than non-Indigenous youth in Australia, yet there is little evidence of effective preventative strategies. Many are misaligned to the needs of First Nations young people due to a lack of consideration of protective factors such as community and cultural connection. Objective: To date no research has examined whether increasing cultural connectedness may reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicidality. The current study outlines the development, implementation, and pilot evaluation of Project Yarn Circle, a school-based suicide prevention initiative utilising cultural education and connection. Method: Project Yarn Circle was piloted by an Indigenous owned and managed youth mental health organisation, delivering 5 weekly sessions to 276 young people at 9 schools in Southeast Queensland, Australia, between 2019 and 2023. Sessions connected students to cultural knowledge and practices (stories, painting, dance, Indigenous languages) with Elders and local cultural knowledge facilitators. Results: Pre- and post-program evaluation questionnaires completed 6–8 weeks apart found that participants had significantly lower suicidal ideation (GHQ-18-SS), pre 7.16, post 6.61, p =.043 higher positive ideation/reasons for living (PANSI-PI) pre 22.44, post 23.60, p =.009, and higher self-esteem (RSES) pre 16.55, post 23.60, p =.005. Analyses of cultural connectedness items co-designed for this evaluation study and validated using Exploratory Factor Analysis found that students demonstrated greater cultural identity clarity, peer cultural competence, strength from culture, salience of cultural continuity and sense of belonging. Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence towards utilising cultural connectedness as an intervention mechanism in Indigenous youth suicide prevention. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide rates are persistently higher than for other young people, with little evidence of effective suicide prevention strategies. Interventions often are misaligned to the different risk and protective factors experienced by First Nations young people. Connection to culture is promoted as a unique protective factor to reduce suicide risk for First Nations young people. What this topic adds: To our knowledge this is the first published cultural engagement intervention to report significant improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicidality, providing an example of the development and delivery of a new program approach. This is the first study to explore increases in connection to culture in conjunction with lowered suicidal ideation and higher reasons for living. The findings suggest that connection to culture can be used as a therapeutic mechanism to reduce suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Australian Psychologist is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 180732307 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Project Yarn Circle: development and pilot evaluation of a cultural connection suicide prevention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gibson%2C+Mandy%22">Gibson, Mandy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rolls%2C+Charles%22">Rolls, Charles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Robson%2C+Mark%22">Robson, Mark</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ward%2C+Raelene%22">Ward, Raelene</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stuart%2C+Jaimee%22">Stuart, Jaimee</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lambden%2C+Debbie%22">Lambden, Debbie</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Australian+Psychologist%22">Australian Psychologist</searchLink>. Dec2024, Vol. 59 Issue 6, p508-522. 15p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suicide+prevention%22">Suicide prevention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+awareness%22">Cultural awareness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-esteem+testing%22">Self-esteem testing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Life%22">Life</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+services+programs%22">Human services programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+care+of+indigenous+peoples%22">Medical care of indigenous peoples</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suicidal+ideation%22">Suicidal ideation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+identity%22">Group identity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+of+human+services+programs%22">Evaluation of human services programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pilot+projects%22">Pilot projects</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+competence%22">Cultural competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Culture%22">Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+values%22">Cultural values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aboriginal+Australians%22">Aboriginal Australians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Torres+Strait+Islanders%22">Torres Strait Islanders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teenagers'+conduct+of+life%22">Teenagers' conduct of life</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pre-tests+%26+post-tests%22">Pre-tests & post-tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitude+%28Psychology%29%22">Attitude (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Government+programs%22">Government programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+mental+health+services%22">School mental health services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+analysis%22">Factor analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+attitudes%22">Student attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well-being%22">Well-being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-perception%22">Self-perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescence%22">Adolescence</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people experience markedly higher suicide mortality than non-Indigenous youth in Australia, yet there is little evidence of effective preventative strategies. Many are misaligned to the needs of First Nations young people due to a lack of consideration of protective factors such as community and cultural connection. Objective: To date no research has examined whether increasing cultural connectedness may reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicidality. The current study outlines the development, implementation, and pilot evaluation of Project Yarn Circle, a school-based suicide prevention initiative utilising cultural education and connection. Method: Project Yarn Circle was piloted by an Indigenous owned and managed youth mental health organisation, delivering 5 weekly sessions to 276 young people at 9 schools in Southeast Queensland, Australia, between 2019 and 2023. Sessions connected students to cultural knowledge and practices (stories, painting, dance, Indigenous languages) with Elders and local cultural knowledge facilitators. Results: Pre- and post-program evaluation questionnaires completed 6–8 weeks apart found that participants had significantly lower suicidal ideation (GHQ-18-SS), pre 7.16, post 6.61, p =.043 higher positive ideation/reasons for living (PANSI-PI) pre 22.44, post 23.60, p =.009, and higher self-esteem (RSES) pre 16.55, post 23.60, p =.005. Analyses of cultural connectedness items co-designed for this evaluation study and validated using Exploratory Factor Analysis found that students demonstrated greater cultural identity clarity, peer cultural competence, strength from culture, salience of cultural continuity and sense of belonging. Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence towards utilising cultural connectedness as an intervention mechanism in Indigenous youth suicide prevention. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide rates are persistently higher than for other young people, with little evidence of effective suicide prevention strategies. Interventions often are misaligned to the different risk and protective factors experienced by First Nations young people. Connection to culture is promoted as a unique protective factor to reduce suicide risk for First Nations young people. What this topic adds: To our knowledge this is the first published cultural engagement intervention to report significant improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicidality, providing an example of the development and delivery of a new program approach. This is the first study to explore increases in connection to culture in conjunction with lowered suicidal ideation and higher reasons for living. The findings suggest that connection to culture can be used as a therapeutic mechanism to reduce suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Australian Psychologist is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/00050067.2024.2404977 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 15 StartPage: 508 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Suicide prevention Type: general – SubjectFull: Cultural awareness Type: general – SubjectFull: Self-esteem testing Type: general – SubjectFull: Life Type: general – SubjectFull: Human services programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Medical care of indigenous peoples Type: general – SubjectFull: Research funding Type: general – SubjectFull: Suicidal ideation Type: general – SubjectFull: Group identity Type: general – SubjectFull: Evaluation of human services programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Pilot projects Type: general – SubjectFull: Cultural competence Type: general – SubjectFull: Questionnaires Type: general – SubjectFull: Culture Type: general – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics Type: general – SubjectFull: Cultural values Type: general – SubjectFull: Aboriginal Australians Type: general – SubjectFull: Torres Strait Islanders Type: general – SubjectFull: Teenagers' conduct of life Type: general – SubjectFull: Pre-tests & post-tests Type: general – SubjectFull: Attitude (Psychology) Type: general – SubjectFull: Government programs Type: general – SubjectFull: School mental health services Type: general – SubjectFull: Factor analysis Type: general – SubjectFull: Student attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Well-being Type: general – SubjectFull: Self-perception Type: general – SubjectFull: Adolescence Type: general – SubjectFull: Australia Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Project Yarn Circle: development and pilot evaluation of a cultural connection suicide prevention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gibson, Mandy – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Rolls, Charles – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Robson, Mark – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ward, Raelene – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stuart, Jaimee – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lambden, Debbie IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2024 Type: published Y: 2024 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00050067 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 59 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Australian Psychologist Type: main |
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