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From Digital Mental Health to Digital Social and Emotional Wellbeing: How Indigenous Community-Based Participatory Research Influenced the Australian Government’s Digital Mental Health Agenda

Author

Listed:
  • James Bennett-Levy

    (University Centre for Rural Health, The University of Sydney, Lismore 2480, Australia)

  • Judy Singer

    (University Centre for Rural Health, The University of Sydney, Lismore 2480, Australia)

  • Darlene Rotumah

    (Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Southern Cross University, Lismore 2480, Australia)

  • Sarah Bernays

    (School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
    London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK)

  • David Edwards

    (University Centre for Rural Health, The University of Sydney, Lismore 2480, Australia)

Abstract

This paper describes the first six years of a government-initiated project to train Indigenous health professionals in digital mental health (d-MH). It illustrates how community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods were used to enable this “top-down” project to be transformed into a ‘ground-up’ community-guided process; and how, in turn, the guidance from the local Indigenous community partners went on to influence the national government’s d-MH agenda. The CBPR partnership between five community partners and a university rural health department is described, with illustrations of how CBPR harnessed the community’s voice in making the project relevant to their wellbeing needs. The local Indigenous community’s involvement led to a number of unexpected outcomes, which impacted locally and nationally. At an early stage, the conceptual framework of the project was changed from d-MH to the culturally-relevant Indigenous framework of digital social and emotional wellbeing (d-SEWB). This led to a significant expansion of the range and type of digital resources; and to other notable outcomes such as successful advocacy for an Aboriginal-specific online therapy program and for a dedicated “one-stop-shop” d-SEWB website, Wellmob , which was funded by the Australian government in 2019–2021. Some of the implications of this project for future Indigenous CBPR projects are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • James Bennett-Levy & Judy Singer & Darlene Rotumah & Sarah Bernays & David Edwards, 2021. "From Digital Mental Health to Digital Social and Emotional Wellbeing: How Indigenous Community-Based Participatory Research Influenced the Australian Government’s Digital Mental Health Agenda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9757-:d:636825
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Morton Ninomiya, Melody E. & Pollock, Nathaniel J., 2017. "Reconciling community-based Indigenous research and academic practices: Knowing principles is not always enough," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 28-36.
    2. Nancy L. Winterbauer & Betty Bekemeier & Lisa VanRaemdonck & Anna G. Hoover, 2016. "Applying Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership Principles to Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(4), pages 21582440166, November.
    3. Roz Walker & Kim Usher & Debra Jackson & Corinne Reid & Katrina Hopkins & Carrington Shepherd & Reakeeta Smallwood & Rhonda Marriott, 2021. "Connection to... Addressing Digital Inequities in Supporting the Well-Being of Young Indigenous Australians in the Wake of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-14, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kalinda Griffiths & Abbey Diaz & Lisa J. Whop & Joan Cunningham, 2021. "The Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples around the Globe: Ensuring and Promoting Best Practice in Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Tamara Butler & Alana Gall & Gail Garvey & Khwanruethai Ngampromwongse & Debra Hector & Scott Turnbull & Kerri Lucas & Caroline Nehill & Anna Boltong & Dorothy Keefe & Kate Anderson, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review of Optimal Approaches to Co-Design in Health with First Nations Australians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-38, December.

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