A project, lead by Aboriginal and Aboriginal LGBTQA+ researchers examining the mental health of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people, is launching a nation-wide survey, to help drive meaningful change for the community.
The Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge) project was developed in response to concerns from the Aboriginal LGBTQA+ community about a lack of data on their mental health, and the fact that many do not receive the same level of social support and healthcare as others in their community.
The project aims to better understand what causes poor social emotional wellbeing and mental health in the community and what can be done to improve it, and then work with health services to remove barriers to accessing support.
Walkern Katatdjin is a partnership between Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (Murdoch University), Kurongkurl Katitjin (Edith Cowan University), and The Kids Research Institute Australia.
The survey is now open to LGBTQA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between the ages of 14 and 25 years.
Researcher and queer Yamatji woman, Shakara Liddelow-Hunt, said the results of the survey will be used to influence changes in service provision and better inform policy decisions.
“There’s currently no existing data on what the mental health situation is like for this population, even though in theory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTIQA+ young people are both high-risk groups for poor mental health,” she said.
We’re really keen to find out what the issues are, and what needs to change
Miriwoong woman Lulkbudia Mclean is a community researcher on the project and said as a queer Aboriginal young person, it can be difficult to find services that are relevant.
“I think for a lot of people their sexual identity and their cultural identity can be really separate for a time and this study is an opportunity to see them as one, which is really healing,” she said.
“It’s also hard to know if a service is a safe space for you when you walk into it. You might be accessing an Aboriginal health service but there’s no LGBTQA+ services that exist there.
It can be really hard for people to get access to services that meet all of their needs
The survey aims to reach as many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people as possible over the coming months from all parts of Australia.
Ms Liddelow-Hunt said the project would work with service providers to co-design the way they offer support to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people.
“We’ll be working with the Aboriginal LGBTQA+ community and service providers, sitting down with them and working out what they need and how the services can support them, and co-designing some interventions that will be effective,” she said.
The Walkern Katatdjin project is overseen by a Youth Advisory Group made up of young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people, and a Governance Committee of respected Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people in the community.
The project is partnered with Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, Yorgum Healing Services, First Peoples Rainbow Mob WA, Sexual Health Headquarters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane and Elizabeth Morgan House.
The project has additional support from Nunkuwarrin Yunti and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT).