A Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Public Health Emergency Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities in Australia, Developed during COVID-19

Simon Graham; Ilias Kamitsis; Michelle Kennedy; Christina Heris; Tess Bright; Shannon K Bennetts; Kimberley A Jones; Renee Fiolet; Janine Mohamed; Caroline Atkinson; Catherine Chamberlain

doi:10.3390/ijerph192315626

A Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Public Health Emergency Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities in Australia, Developed during COVID-19

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 24;19(23):15626. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315626.

Authors

Simon Graham¹, Ilias Kamitsis², Michelle Kennedy³, Christina Heris⁴, Tess Bright², Shannon K Bennetts^{5

6}, Kimberley A Jones², Renee Fiolet², Janine Mohamed⁷, Caroline Atkinson⁸, Catherine Chamberlain^{2

5

7

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
² Indigenous Health Equity Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
³ School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.
⁴ National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
⁵ Judith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
⁶ Intergenerational Health Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3000, Australia.
⁷ The Lowitja Institute, Collingwood, VIC 3066, Australia.
⁸ We Al-Li, Goolmangar, NSW 2480, Australia.
⁹ NGANGK YIRA: Murdoch University Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia.

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted peoples' livelihoods and mental wellbeing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia continue to experience intergenerational trauma associated with colonization and may experience trauma-related distress in response to government responses to public health emergencies. We aimed to develop a culturally responsive trauma-informed public health emergency response framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led study involved: (i) a review of trauma-informed public health emergency responses to develop a draft framework (ii) interviews with 110 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents about how COVID-19 impacted their lives, and (iii) a workshop with 36 stakeholders about pandemic experiences using framework analysis to refine a culturally responsive trauma-informed framework. The framework included: an overarching philosophy (cultural humility, safety and responsiveness); key enablers (local leadership and Eldership); supporting strategies (provision of basic needs and resources, well-functioning social systems, human rights, dignity, choice, justice and ethics, mutuality and collective responsibility, and strengthening of existing systems); interdependent core concepts (safety, transparency, and empowerment, holistic support, connectedness and collaboration, and compassion, protection and caring); and central goals (a sense of security, resilience, wellbeing, self- and collective-efficacy, hope, trust, resilience, and healing from grief and loss).

Keywords: Aboriginal; Indigenous; Torres Strait Islander; complex trauma; framework; public health emergency.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia / epidemiology
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Health Services, Indigenous*
Humans
Indigenous Peoples
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Public Health

Grants and funding

The Paul Ramsay Foundation’s (PRF) mission is to break cycles of disadvantage in Australia. The Paul Ramsay Foundation focuses on the most stubborn barriers to change, where multiple cycles of disadvantage collide and experiences of disadvantage persist across generations. This research was funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (grant number: 651). Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paul Ramsay Foundation. The Paul Ramsay Foundation would like to thank its partners who were involved in this research for their contributions. Funding for this project was provided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Grant Round, the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies (APPRISE) Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) and the NHMRC (Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future project). CC is funded by a NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (#1161065), SG is funded by a NHMRC Investigator Grant (#2009727) and MK is funded by an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (#1158670).