“Ngany Kamam, I Speak Truly”: First-Person Accounts of Aboriginal Youth Voices in Mental Health Service Reform

Hunter Culbong, Ashton Ramirez-Watkins, Shae Anderson, Tiana Culbong, Nikayla Crisp, Glenn Pearson, Ashleigh Lin and Michael Wright ()
Additional contact information
Hunter Culbong: College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
Ashton Ramirez-Watkins: Youth Programs, Port Hedland Local Council, Port Hedland 6721, Australia
Shae Anderson: Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
Tiana Culbong: School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Technology, Sydney 2000, Australia
Nikayla Crisp: Design Participation and Inclusion, Neami National, Perth 6000, Australia
Glenn Pearson: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth 6000, Australia
Ashleigh Lin: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth 6000, Australia
Michael Wright: School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley 6102, Australia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: 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 boodja (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.

Keywords: co-design; consumer participation; Indigenous; lived experience; mental health service; youth leadership; wellbeing; Aboriginal youth; First Nations; youth voice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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