Background

Cultural connection for Aboriginal young people promotes wellbeing, resilience and healing. There is little research on the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) impacts of cultural strengthening programs for Aboriginal young people, especially research that includes the perspectives of young people. There is even less research that includes the experiences of Aboriginal young people who have been in out-of-home care.

Objective

The current study sought to address these research gaps by exploring the SEWB impacts of cultural strengthening programs by amplifying the voice of Aboriginal young people, including those who have been in out-of-home care.

Participants and setting

Aboriginal young people involved in an innovative cultural strengthening program, the Narrun Yana art collective, established by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA). Also participating was VACCA's Team Leader of Children and Youth Programs, thus providing both experiences of participating in and of organising cultural programs.

Method

A qualitative phenomenological approach was taken. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews with the team leader and two young people and written responses to the interview questions from one young person.

Results

Lived experience provided evidence that cultural strengthening programs; help strengthen SEWB, including connection to self, relationships, community and culture; contribute to building resilience in the context of intergenerational trauma, cultural loss and racism; and encourage help-seeking, both informal support and accessing mental health services. Young people also viewed participating in the research as worthwhile.

Conclusions

Findings highlighted the importance of Aboriginal young people having opportunities to; connect to culture through participation in cultural strengthening programs, and engage in the design of these programs.

中文翻译：

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“通过文化治愈”：土著年轻人对文化强化计划对社会和情感健康影响的体验

 背景

原住民年轻人的文化联系可以促进福祉、复原力和康复。关于文化强化计划对原住民年轻人的社会和情感健康（SEWB）影响的研究很少，特别是包括年轻人观点的研究。包括接受户外护理的原住民年轻人经历的研究就更少了。

 客观的

当前的研究试图通过扩大土著年轻人（包括那些接受户外护理的年轻人）的声音来探索文化强化计划对 SEWB 的影响，从而弥补这些研究空白。

 参加者及设置

原住民年轻人参与了由维多利亚原住民儿童保育机构 (VACCA) 建立的 Narrun Yana 艺术团体这一创新文化强化计划。 VACCA 儿童和青少年项目组长也参与其中，从而提供了参与和组织文化项目的经验。

 方法

采用了定性现象学方法。数据包括对团队领导和两名年轻人的半结构化访谈以及一名年轻人对访谈问题的书面回答。

 结果

生活经验证明文化强化计划；帮助加强 SEWB，包括与自我、人际关系、社区和文化的联系；有助于在代际创伤、文化丧失和种族主义的背景下建立复原力；鼓励寻求帮助，包括非正式支持和获得心理健康服务。年轻人也认为参与这项研究是值得的。

 结论

调查结果强调了原住民年轻人有机会这样做的重要性；通过参与文化强化计划与文化建立联系，并参与这些计划的设计。