Psycho-social resilience, vulnerability and suicide prevention: impact evaluation of a mentoring approach to modify suicide risk for remote Indigenous Australian students at boarding school

BMC Public Health

Study Protocol

Mark Wenitong¹  Chris Doran²  Anthony Shakeshaft³  Komla Tsey⁴  Susan Jacups⁴  Janya McCalman⁵  Roxanne Bainbridge⁵  Sandra Russo⁶  Katrina Rutherford⁶ 

[1] Apunipima Cape York Health Council, PO box 12045, 4870, Westcourt, QLD, Australia;CQUniversity, 160 Ann Street, 4000, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW, 22-32 King St, 2031, Randwick, NSW, Australia;The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, 4870, Cairns, QLD, Australia;The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, 4870, Cairns, QLD, Australia;School of Human Health and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia, Cairns Square, Level 3, Corner Abbott and Shields Streets, 4870, Cairns, QLD, Australia;Transition Support Service, Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment, P O Box 2268, 4870, Cairns, QLD, Australia;

关键词: Resilience;    Suicide prevention;    Wellbeing;    Aboriginal;    Torres Strait Islander;    Remote;    School students;    Boarding school;    Mentoring;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-016-2762-1

 received in 2015-12-21, accepted in 2016-01-20,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe proposed study was developed in response to increased suicide risk identified in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are compelled to attend boarding schools across Queensland when there is no secondary schooling provision in their remote home communities. It will investigate the impact of a multicomponent mentoring intervention to increase levels of psychosocial resilience. We aim to test the null hypothesis that students’ resilience is not positively influenced by the intervention. The 5-year project was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council from December 2014.Methods/DesignAn integrated mixed methods approach will be adopted; each component iteratively informing the other. Using an interrupted time series design, the primary research methods are quantitative: 1) assessment of change in students’ resilience, educational outcomes and suicide risk; and 2) calculation of costs of the intervention. Secondary methods are qualitative: 3) a grounded theoretical model of the process of enhancing students’ psychosocial resilience to protect against suicide. Additionally, there is a tertiary focus on capacity development: more experienced researchers in the team will provide research mentorship to less experienced researchers through regular meetings; while Indigenous team members provide cultural mentorship in research practices to non-Indigenous members.DiscussionAustralia’s suicide prevention policy is progressive but a strong service delivery model is lacking, particularly for Indigenous peoples. The proposed research will potentially improve students’ levels of resilience to mitigate against suicide risk. Additionally, it could reduce the economic and social costs of Indigenous youth suicide by obtaining agreement on what is good suicide prevention practice for remote Indigenous students who transition to boarding schools for education, and identifying the benefits-costs of an evidence-based multi-component mentoring intervention to improve resilience.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© McCalman et al. 2016