Browsing by Author "Smith K."
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Item Culturally appropriate assessment of depression and anxiety in older Torres Strait Islanders: limitations and recommendations.(2023-02-17) Russell S.G.; Quigley R.; Thompson F.; Sagigi B.; Miller G.; LoGiudice D.; Smith K.; Strivens E.; Pachana N.A.Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. Methods: A modified version of the PHQ-9 (KICA-dep) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) were administered as part of a wider dementia prevalence study conducted in the Torres Strait. Results were compared to diagnoses obtained on Geriatric review to evaluate their applicability in the region. Results: A total of 236 participants completed the KICA-dep and 184 completed the GAI short form. Of these, 10.6% were identified with depression and 15.8% with anxiety. Some participants found questions about suicide ideation and self-harm offensive and others had difficulty understanding concepts on the GAI. The KICA-dep performed poorly in comparison to diagnosis on geriatric clinical review, so results are unlikely to reflect the true prevalence of depression in the region. Conclusions: Further research is required to explore the underlying dimensions of depression and anxiety and terminology used to express mood symptoms in the Torres Strait. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: * Current mental health screening tools are not applicable for the Torres Strait* More work is required to determine how symptoms of depression and anxiety are expressed within Torres Strait communities.Item Integrating the family wellbeing program into practice: a conceptual model.Onnis L.; Moylan R.; Whiteside M.; Klieve H.; Smith K.; Tsey K.The experience of trauma in childhood can have lifelong consequences. For Indigenous people the effects can be overcome through protective factors such as connection to family and country, and feeling empowered by having more control over their lives in the socio-political environment in which they are living. There is growing evidence for trauma-informed social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) interventions that foster a sense of empowerment and enable positive personal- and community-level outcomes. However, in the face of challenges such as short-term funding cycles, such programs are hard to sustainably implement and evaluate over time, even where they demonstrate promise. This article reflects on a successful experience of integrating the Family Wellbeing empowerment program into an existing child and family support organisation. It presents the essential elements for integrating a SEWB program as a conceptual model and highlights the implications for sustainable implementation of promising SEWB programs in new settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)Item Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to stay together from the start (Safest Start): urgent call to action to address crisis in infant removals.Chamberlain C.; Gray P.; Bennet D.; Elliott A.; Jackomos M.; Krakouer J.; Marriott R.; O'Dea B.; Andrews J.; Andrews S.; Atkinson C.; Atkinson J.; Bhathal A.; Bundle G.; Davies S.; Herrman H.; Hunter SA.; Jones-Terare G.; Leane C.; Mares S.; McConachy J.; Mensah F.; Mills C.; Mohammed J.; Hetti Mudiyanselage L.; O'Donnell M.; Orr E.; Priest N.; Roe Y.; Smith K.; Waldby C.; Milroy H.; Langton MReducing the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care (OOHC) is a key Closing the Gap target committed to by all Australian governments. Current strategies are failing. The "gap" is widening, with the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in OOHC at 30 June 2020 being 11 times that of non-Indigenous children. Approximately, one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering OOHC each year are younger than one year. These figures represent compounding intergenerational trauma and institutional harm to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. This article outlines systemic failures to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents during pregnancy and following birth, causing cumulative harm and trauma to families, communities and cultures. Major reform to child and family notification and service systems, and significant investment to address this crisis, is urgently needed. The Family Matters Building Blocks and five elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (Prevention, Participation, Partnership, Placement and Connection) provide a transformative foundation to address historical, institutional, well-being and socioeconomic drivers of current catastrophic trajectories. The time for action is now. Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Australian Journal of Social Issues published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Social Policy Association.Item The well-being of carers of older Aboriginal people living in the Kimberley region of remote Western Australia: empowerment, depression, and carer burden.(2020-01-16) LoGiudice D.; Josif C.M.; Malay R.; Hyde Z.; Haswell M.; Lindeman M.A.; Etherton-Beer C.; Atkinson D.; Bessarab D.; Flicker L.; Smith K.Objective: To describe demographic features and well-being of carers of Aboriginal Australians aged >=45 years in remote Western Australia. Method(s): Carer burden, empowerment, and depression were assessed in 124 Aboriginal carers in four remote Aboriginal communities. Result(s): Carers were aged 38.8 +/- 15.0 years, 73.4% were female, and 75.8% were children or grandchildren of the person cared for. The mean Zarit-6 score was 3.7 +/- 3.6. Attending high school (odds ratio [OR] = 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.1, 0.7]) and feeling empowered (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.8]) were inversely associated with carer burden; female carers were less likely to feel empowered (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = [0.2, 0.9]); and empowerment was inversely associated with depression (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.7]). Discussion(s): Aboriginal carers in remote communities are relatively young and most are children or grandchildren. Carer burden was lower than anticipated. However, existing tools may not adequately measure Aboriginal perspectives. Education and empowerment are key factors which support programs must consider.Copyright © The Author(s) 2020.