Spirituality research must inform health policy and practice
Aboriginal health programmes must incorporate spirituality if they are to have any sustainable impact on the current state of Indigenous health according to a report launched recently in Queensland’s largest Aboriginal community of Yarrabah, which investigates the relationship between spirituality, religion and health.
The report: The Role of Spirituality in Social and Emotional Wellbeing Initiatives: The Family Wellbeing Program at Yarrabah, one of two new discussion papers from the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, will be launched by Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health & Ageing, Senator Jan McLucas.
Chair of the National Health & Medical Research Council, Professor Michael Good, will launch a second discussion paper: Research Dancing: Reflection on the Relationships between University Based Researchers and Community Based Researchers at Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services, which documents the highly successful research partnership between the Yarrabah community and the University of Qld and James Cook University.
The two discussion papers are both related to the successful Family Wellbeing Programe developed in response to Yarrabah’s former catastrophically high suicide rate and delivered in Yarrabah by the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service.
Evaluation of the programe, which helps families and individuals make positive life changes, found that Family Wellbeing Program participants who were able to better connect with inner spiritual beliefs often increased their sense of personal empowerment and control which in turn offered protection against suicide and other self-destructive behaviours.
The paper also reports on improved parenting skills resulting from the program and argues that the Yarrabah research on health and spirituality should inform the development of Indigenous mental health services and policy.
Senator McLucas said the link between health and spirituality is an important consideration for health planners.
“The community made the explicit connection between their spiritual and physical well being and have demonstrated that the healing of spirit and land can improve Indigenous health outcomes,” she said.
The second paper to be launched: Research Dancing describes the processes for achieving real collaboration and the benefits of doing so. The paper sets out positive strategies for real research partnerships between research institutions and the Aboriginal community groups desperate for evidence to establish successful strategies for building good health and wellbeing in Aboriginal society.
Professor Good noted that improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through research is a primary goal of The National Health and Medical Research Council and a key recommendation of the National 2020 Summit.
“Yarrabah community’s collaborative research with university academics into family wellbeing and men’s support are excellent examples of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can become involved in research programs addressing local needs, help set the agenda and develop research capacity for the betterment of their community,” said Professor Good.
To download copies of the two discussion papers go to:
http://www.crcah.org.au/publications/downloads/DP7_FINAL.pdf
http://www.crcah.org.au/publications/downloads/DP-8_final-web.pdf
