Understanding wellbeing from the perspectives of First Nations Australian youth: Findings from a national qualitative study

Abstract

Measures of wellbeing are increasingly used to inform critical decision making to support young people across a range of areas, including health, education, and programs and services that support them. Wellbeing is a culturally bound construct; therefore, robust wellbeing measures must ask about topics that are culturally relevant to and valued by the population of interest. Despite this, little attention has been directed at understanding the components of wellbeing relevant to, and valued by, First Nations youth. This project aims to redress this gap through a large national study conducted to gather the views of First Nations youth (aged 12–17 years) about what supports their wellbeing. First Nations youth were recruited in collaboration with partner organisations between May 2021 and September 2022 to participate in a PhotoYarning study (a combination of Photovoice and Yarning methodologies). Participants were given digital cameras, asked to take photos relevant to their wellbeing and then joined Yarning Circles to share and discuss the photos and their wellbeing. Yarning Circles were analysed using a strength based lens within a Collaborative Yarning approach. A total of 172 youth participated in one of 17 Yarning Circles sharing over 550 photographs. Analysis revealed an interconnected set of six themes foundational to their wellbeing, including: having a sense of belonging; feeling connected with others; receiving care and self-care; doing activities you enjoy; working towards goals and achievements; and having access to safe spaces. These findings provide a substantial foundation for building an understanding of wellbeing for First Nations youth, which can then form the basis of robust wellbeing measures, interventions, and programs to more effectively meet their wellbeing needs.