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Social & emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal youth

Understanding protective and risk factors for social emotional and wellbeing of Aboriginal Children and Adolescents in South Australia.

Research summary

In practice, a diverse model of programs, services and policies that apply in an holistic approach is needed to enhance the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal youth. These programs need to have a strong Indigenous representation on steering/advisory committees, and to be operated at an age-appropriate pace and adopt bottom-up methods that value the input of the local community, especially the youth themselves.

Aboriginal young people often experience circumstances that significantly affect their SEWB and limit their potential. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge about the determinants that support SEWB for Aboriginal youth to flourish.

The rapid review of literature was conducted to understand the protective and risk factors for SEWB of Indigenous youth in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US (CANZUS).

The findings indicated that Indigenous peoples’ perceptions of SEWB differ from traditional Western conceptualisations of health and carry a culturally distinct meaning, which Indigenous peoples largely share across the four Western colonised countries considered in this study.

An understanding of these protective and risk factors can inform targeted policy and public health practice frameworks that will improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous youth in South Australia.

Theoretical and practical frameworks

The synthesis of literature was guided by the Australian National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017–2023.

Research impact

The collaboration with Preventative Health SA and Aboriginal organisations and communities has led to the development of policies and practice frameworks to guide the South Australian Government on effective ways to work with Aboriginal communities to improve mental health outcomes for Aboriginal youth in South Australia.

Project outcomes

  • Identification of complex thematic and intersecting areas that support SEWB of Aboriginal youth. These include connection to the:
    1. Body
    2. Mind and Emotions
    3. Family and Kinship
    4. Community
    5. Culture
    6. Country and land (place/space)
    7. Ancestry and Spirituality
  • Identification of barriers and enablers of programs and services targeting Aboriginal youth flourishing in South Australia.
  • Development of policy framework to guide Preventive Health SA in working to improve Aboriginal communities and the flourishing of Aboriginal youth in SA.
  • Development of tools for Aboriginal Youth Consultation by Preventive Health SA.
  • Collaborative practice models for consulting Aboriginal communities regarding issues of Aboriginal youth.
  • Formation of practice framework to improve Aboriginal youth flourishing in South Australia.

Academic publications

  1. Fauk, N. K., Dent, E., Aylward, P., Ward, P. R., Tyndall, J., Kirwan, L., & Mwanri, L. (2024). Protective and risk factors for social and emotional well-being of Indigenous children and adolescents: A rapid review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 1–60. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health: Vol 0, No 0
  2. Sumner, C., & Mwanri, L. (2025). Determinants of socioemotional wellbeing of Aboriginal youth: A systematic review of literature presented at the Preventive Health Conference 2025, Canberra, April 2025.

Industry publications

Protective and risk factors for social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and adolescents: A rapid review report for Preventive Health SA. Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, 2024.

Research team

Torrens University Australia

Partners

  • Preventive Health SA, Government of South Australia
  • Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia

Research Objectives

  • Identify protective factors for the Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years (Aboriginal Youth).
  • Identify risk factors for the Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal Youth.
  • Increase knowledge and understanding of SEWB to improve the mental health of Aboriginal youth in South Australia.
  • Translate the new knowledge and understanding into relevant evidence to inform SA Health policy and practice frameworks to improve Aboriginal youth SEWB in South Australia.

Research approach

Supported by Preventive Health SA, a systematic review of literature was conducted to identify Social Emotional and Wellbeing (SEWB) determinants of Aboriginal children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years.

The selected articles were thematically analysed, guided by Thomas and Harden’s framework for thematic synthesis in systematic reviews, using both inductive and deductive methodological approaches. The Aboriginal Health Council of SA was also consulted for information on their policies and programs related to youth flourishing.

The Senior Learning Facilitator for First Nations Curriculum at Torrens University Australia was an integral member of the research team, ensuring that the project processes were sensitive to Aboriginal culture and knowledge.