Best Practice
Research
The CBPATSISP Clearing House for best practice research provides a central resource point that collects, organises and disseminates information about valuable research in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention.
Research and a strong evidence base can enable communities, consumers and policy makers to readily distinguish programs and policies that are successful and are also in keeping with the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Clearing House for best practice research provides high quality and culturally relevant research publications to inform the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations, mental health practitioners, policy makers and program providers. This includes:
- Peer reviewed studies
- Other relevant publications
- Community project reports
Indigenous Research Ethics
In selecting the research featured in the Clearing House, the CBPATSISP is informed by the principles contained in the NH&MRC’s Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders.
The NHMRC guidelines include six core values:
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Spirit & Integrity
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Cultural Continuity
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Equity
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Reciprocity
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Respect
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Responsibility
The NHMRC guidelines acknowledge that historically research has not always benefited Indigenous peoples, and state that ethical research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities should:
- Improve the way all researchers work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities
- Develop and/or strengthen research capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities
- Enhance the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as researchers, research partners, collaborators and participants in research
Research Programs
Long-term research programs offer the opportunity to generate important results over time, for example through longitudinal cohort studies and community research, implementation and validation collaborations. Each of these programs may generate multiple research publications.
The Alliance for Suicide Prevention Sunshine Coast – Collective action for the Indigenous community
In 2019 Sunshine Coast’s Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous communities and key organisations came together for a much-needed conversation about suicide prevention at the Triballink Activity Centre in Mapleton. Key findings from the Indigenous Community Consultation event, held to gain valuable perspectives on local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention efforts can be found here.
Getting It Right: The Validation Study (commenced in 2014 – ongoing)
Investigators – Maree Hackett, Sara Farnbach, Graham Gee, Alan Cass Timothy Skinner, Alex Brown Deborah Askew, Amrmando Teixeira–Pinto
Aims – The primary aim of Getting it right: The Validation Study is to validate an extensively adapted and culturally appropriate, free to use, tool for use with Indigenous people attending primary care services, the adapted nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (aPHQ-9), against a gold standard (criterion standard) the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 6.0.0., as a screening instrument for depression. The secondary aim is to evaluate the level of contribution of seven additional questions to the aPHQ-9 to the diagnosis of depression, as compared to the aPHQ-9.
Publications – Getting it Right: validating a culturally specific screening tool for depression (aPHQ-9) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31165642 (Ongoing work)
More information: The George Institute for Mental Health
Aims – The aim of this study is to trial and evaluate the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale (KMMS) which was developed and later validated as an effective and acceptable perinatal depression and anxiety screening tool for use with perinatal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the Kimberley region under research conditions.
This study will document the process of implementation and establishing the ‘real world’ validity and acceptability of the KMMS in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Far North Queensland in northern Australia.
This project aims to contribute to the important public health priority of screening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women for perinatal depression and anxiety with tools that are meaningful and culturally responsive to cultural and clinical needs. Identifying and addressing barriers to implementation contributes to our understanding of the complexity of improving routine clinical practice.
Investigators – Emma Carlin, Sarah J. Blondell, Yvonne Cadet-James, Sandra Campbell, Melissa Williams, Catherine Engelke, Des Taverner, Rhonda Marriott, Karen Edmonds, David Atkinson & Julia V. Marley (approved by Pilbara Aboriginal Health Planning Forum)
Publications – Carlin, E., Blondell, SJ., Cadet-James, Y., Campbell, S. Williams, M., et al. 2019 Study protocol: a clinical trial for improving mental health screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women and mothers of young children using the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale
Carlin E, Atkinson D, Marley JV. 2019 ‘Having a Quiet Word’: Yarning with Aboriginal Women in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia about Mental Health and Mental Health Screening during the Perinatal Period. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 1;16(21). pii: E4253. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16214253.
Marley, J. V., Kotz, J., Engelke, C., Williams, M., Stephen, D., Coutinho, S., and Trust, S. K. (2017). Validity and acceptability of Kimberley mum’s mood scale to screen for perinatal anxiety and depression in remote aboriginal health care settings. PLoS One. 2017; 12(1): e0168969. Published online 2017 Jan 30. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168969
Validation of the EPDS with Aboriginal Australian mothers and healthcare professionals.
Investigators – Ai Wen Chan, Peta Skerrington, Corinne Reid & Rhonda Marriott
Aim – To establish whether this tool has the potential to be an acceptable, valid and reliable indicator of depression for mothers and mothers-to-be. This mixed-methods research protocol seeks to explore the views and experiences of Aboriginal mothers and healthcare professionals in relation to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and is intended to highlight potential barriers in perinatal mental health
Publications – Ai Wen Chan, Peta Skerrington, Corinne Reid & Rhonda Marriott. Research protocol for the exploration of experiences of Aboriginal Australian mothers and healthcare professionals when using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: a process-oriented validation study using triangulated participatory mixed methods.
Cultural validation of the structured clinical interview for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders in Indigenous Australians
Investigators – Maree Toombs, Bushra Nasir
Aim – To determine the cultural appropriateness of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) as an acceptable tool for diagnosing mental illness among Indigenous people.
Publications – Maree Toombs et al. (2019) – Cultural validation of the structured clinical interview for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders in Indigenous Australians. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31165642
Research Publications
The CBPATSISP Clearing House includes a wide range of peer reviewed articles and other publications that are relevant to research in Suicide Prevention, Wellbeing and Healing, Screening and Assessment Tools and Measures, Social Determinants, Systems Approaches, Diverse Groups, Indigenous Governance & Cultural Safety and Evaluations.
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