Realist Review of Programs, Policies, and Interventions to Enhance the Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People Living in Out-of-Home Care

Abstract

The child protection system in Australia includes out-of-home care (OoHC) for children and young people at risk of harm and neglect. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are 9 times more likely to be placed in care than non-Aboriginal young people (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015). Australia's history of colonization and subsequent policies have caused trauma to individuals, families, and communities and resulted in poor physical and mental health and mistrust of services. This review was undertaken to identify programs and policies currently in place that aim to improve the mental health and well-being of this vulnerable population. It provides an analysis of both the strengths of the current system as well as what has been inadequately addressed based on literature in the area.By incorporating an Aboriginal perspective, this review focuses on social, emotional, and spiritual well-being (SESWB) and the aspects of a child's life and community that promote this. A realist review of the academic and grey literature was conducted in 2014. It included an extensive search of government and non-government (NGO) publications. The review identified nine programs or policies that are designed to improve the SESWB of Aboriginal young people in OoHC in local and international settings. These are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, cultural support plans, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), family group decision-making, therapeutic care, and Panyappi Mentoring Program. Given that culturally competent service provision is important to SESWB, the review concludes that an increase in monitoring and evaluation is necessary to determine the effectiveness of programs and ensure their implementation and sustainability when warranted. Policy and research work is needed to adapt and devise programs promoting the SESWB of Aboriginal young people (at both the individual and system levels), determine their effectiveness, and ensure they are sustained when warranted.

Ethnic Identity and Self-Esteem as Mediators of the Effects of Cultural Involvement on the Wellbeing of Indigenous Andean People

“…Likewise, the results of this study support the second hypothesis (i.e., cultural involvement has a significant and positive effect on ethnic identity and self-esteem, which coincides with other studies that report the positive and significant effect of involvement on self-esteem (e.g., Dockery, 2011Dockery, , 2011Guitart et al, 2011;Morcom, 2017) and on ethnic identity (e.g., Hapeta et al, 2019;Kirmayer, 2015;Lindstedt et al, 2017).…”

“…The results of this study allow us to sustain the first hypothesis of this research (i.e., cultural involvement has a significant and positive direct effect on different dimensions of Lickan-Antay well-being), which is in line with the findings of other studies, conducted in other ethnic minorities (e.g., Hapeta et al, 2019; Kirmayer, 2015; Lindstedt et al, 2017), and quantitatively supports the findings of the study by Gutiérrez-Carmona et al (2020a), which shows that in a neoliberal, capitalist, and extractivist context—perceived as negative for the well-being of the Lickan-Antay—participation in traditional activities, festivities, and ceremonies is a protective factor for well-being, both at the individual and community levels.…”

Social Determinants of Indigenous Health and Indigenous Rights in Policy: A Scoping Review and Analysis of Problem Representation

“…In addition, Black and McBean (2016) described colonisation as destructive, with far reaching consequences for Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Peer-reviewed literature from both Australia (Bishop et al, 2009;Brown, 2009;Browne et al, 2017;Lindstedt, Moeller-Saxone, Black, Herrman, & Szwarc, 2017;Robertson et al, 2012;Stanley, 2008) and Canada (Cooke & McWhirter, 2011;Mitchell & Macleod, 2014;Shewell, 2016) described the damage caused by past policies of segregation, marginalisation, and assimilation. One particularly damaging characteristic of colonisation described was the forced removal of Indigenous children from families in Australia, the United States, and Canada (Black & McBean, 2016;Brown, 2009;Hill, 2008;Lavoie, 2014;Mitchell & Macleod, 2014;Shewell, 2016;Unal, 2018).…”

“…Bishop et al (2009) argued that Aboriginal children are still removed from families in Australia, but in a more sophisticated manner through the welfare system, noting that while current policies are written to focus on "child welfare" rather than forced removal, Aboriginal children are "still removed at a rate over six times more than non-Aboriginal children" (p. 113). Lindstedt et al (2017) stated that in 2015 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were living in out of home care at a rate of 52.5 per 1000 children, compared to 8.1 per 1000 children for the total population, indicating the rate of removal was 9 times more likely for Indigenous children.…”

“…Cooper (2011) concluded that the model needs reassessment because there is a silence in policy about alternatives, such as community-controlled health services. Action on social determinants, including cultural determinants, were identified as essential components to improve health in this review (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016;Black & McBean, 2016;Cooper, 2011;Klein, 2015;Lindstedt et al, 2017;Robertson et al, 2012;D. Smith, 2007;Sullivan, 2011).…”