The Her Tribe and His Tribe Aboriginal-Designed Empowerment Programs.

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health
• Community Wellbeing
• Mental Health Interventions

Background:

• Victorian Aboriginal communities face unique challenges impacting social and emotional wellbeing.
• Culturally tailored programs are essential for addressing mental health disparities.
• Existing interventions may not adequately incorporate cultural practices and community connection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Her Tribe and His Tribe Aboriginal-designed empowerment pilot programs.
• To assess the impact of these programs on mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, community connection, and psychological distress.
• To explore participants' experiences, including the feasibility and acceptability of the evaluation methods.

Main Methods:

• Pilot programs (Her Tribe: 16 weeks, His Tribe: 12 weeks) involving physical and cultural activities.
• Pre- and post-program assessments for 43 women and 26 men.
• 6-month follow-up yarning circles with 17 women and 10 men to gather qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in personal, relationship, community, and cultural strengths and resources for both programs.
• Significant decreases in psychological distress, with effects maintained at 6-month follow-up.
• Increased aerobic fitness in female participants; no significant changes in weight for either group. Participants reported benefits and found the evaluation feasible and acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Aboriginal-designed programs incorporating physical and cultural activities are effective in strengthening mental health and wellbeing.
• These programs enhance community connection and reduce psychological distress among Victorian Aboriginal people.
• Culturally relevant interventions demonstrate positive outcomes and are valued by participants.