Project Yarn Circle evaluation highlights promising results

Posted 28th October 2024

Evaluation of a school-based initiative for First Nations students has shown promising results in reducing suicidal ideation (thoughts) by facilitating connection to culture.

Project Yarn Circle was created and delivered by the Indigenous-owned and managed youth mental health organisation, Youth 2 Knowledge (Y2K) . Y2K works with high schools and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop innovative and inclusive approaches to support mental health, resilience and personal growth.

Project Yarn Circle uses connection to culture to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide. The program is centred around yarning circles, a traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practice where cultural knowledge, storytelling and two-way learning are exchanged between students, Elders and community facilitators.

Researchers from Griffith University’s Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP) and Y2K have undertaken an evaluation of Project Yarn Circle, which has shown benefits for program participants.

The evaluation examined the effectiveness of the pilot delivery of the Project Yarn Circle to reduce suicidal thoughts and increase cultural connectedness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The evaluation showed that Project Yarn Circle participants had significantly lower suicidal thoughts and higher self-esteem on completing the program.

Lead researcher, Mandy Gibson said First Nations young people have been found to experience markedly higher suicidality than non-Indigenous youth in Australia, yet there have been comparatively very few effective programs to address or reduce this issue.

"We know First Nations young people who die by suicide are less likely to have ever had any support within the classic mental health support systems, so we need to actually reduce risk and increase protective factors in community, not just wait and hope we catch those who need help before it’s too late.” said Ms Gibson.

Read the full research paper here.

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