The full potential for research to improve Aboriginal health has not yet been realised. This paper describes an established long-term action partnership between Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC), researchers and the Sax Institute, which is committed to using high-quality data to bring about health improvements through better services, policies and programs. The ACCHSs, in particular, have ensured that the driving purpose of...read more
Background: It is important for researchers to understand the motivations and decision-making processes of participants who take part in their research. This enables robust informed consent and promotes research that meets the needs and expectations of the community. It is particularly vital when working with Indigenous communities, where there is a history of exploitative research practices. In this paper, we examine the accounts of Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous research participants in terms of how and...read more
Objective This paper explores the body of knowledge around Indigenous health research and aims to outline what roles are appropriate for non-Indigenous researchers within Indigenous health research in Australia. Methods A literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus in May 2015. The search terms were ‘non-Indigenous researchers’ AND ‘Indigenous health research’ and other combinations of these terms. Additional documents were sourced by hand using the reference lists of key articles. Results Seven thematic...read more
Until recently the majority of psychologists in Australia have been confronted by the lack of information relating to culturally appropriate methods of engagement and therapy with Aboriginal clients. Findings from a qualitative study undertaken in Western Australia indicated that Aboriginal conceptualisations of mental health appear more holistic and contain elements that are both cultural and spiritual. The extent of these differences in conceptualisations from Western psychiatry and psychology are so vast that the mental health...read more
Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research (Values and Ethics) provides guidance to researchers and Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) on the complex considerations necessary in the conception, design and conduct of appropriate research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Values and Ethics was developed by an Australian Health Ethics Committee working committee in 2003 and replaced the Guidelines on ethical matters in Aboriginal and Torres...read more
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has established these Guidelines to assist psychologists to interpret and apply General Principla A of the Code of Ethics (2007) - Respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples.read more
