Peer-reviewed article
Drawing Wellbeing: findings from an art-based exploration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Kate Anderson, Alana Gall, Tasha-Jade Cole, Taleah Carson, Kirsten Howard et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explored wellbeing from the perspectives of 219 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-11 years across Australia using art-based and yarning methods. Children identified seven interconnected elements supporting their wellbeing: caring relationships, connection to Country and nature, feeling safe, hopes and dreams, strong mind and body, interests and activities, and strong identity. Culture emerged as foundational to all aspects of wellbeing for these children. The findings will inform development of culturally appropriate wellbeing measures and interventions.
Key points
- Culture is foundational and connects all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's wellbeing
- Seven interconnected wellbeing themes identified: caring relationships, connection to Country and nature, feeling safe, hopes and dreams, strong mind and body, interests and activities, and strong identity
- Study prioritised children's own voices and lived experiences using culturally grounded qualitative methods
- Wellbeing is understood as holistic, relational, and culturally embedded rather than individual
- Findings will support development of culturally relevant measurement tools and service provision
Limitations
This study captures children's perspectives on wellbeing but does not evaluate interventions or measure outcomes over time. The findings are context-specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and may not generalise to other populations.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are custodians of the world's oldest living cultures yet experience systemic inequities that infringe upon their rights to health, education, safety, and cultural identity due to ongoing colonisation. Despite these persistent disparities, few studies have explored wellbeing from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's own perspectives and lived experiences. This study addresses this gap by privileging children's voices in a large-scale, culturally grounded qualitative investigation. METHOD: This study represents the first phase of the What Matters 2Kids (WM2K) project, which aims to develop a culturally relevant wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-11 years. Using an Indigenist methodology and culturally responsive Art and Yarning method, 219 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across 15 sites in urban, regional, and remote Australia participated in creative sessions to express what supports their wellbeing. Data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and a Collaborative Yarning approach. RESULTS: Culture emerged as a foundational element underpinning and connecting all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's wellbeing. Within this cultural foundation, seven interconnected themes were identified: caring relationships, connection to Country and nature, feeling safe, hopes and dreams, strong mind and body, interests and activities, and strong identity. A culturally resonant visual analogy, the "Wellbeing Stones", was developed to conceptualise these findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides critical insights into the holistic, relational, and culturally embedded nature of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, offering essential groundwork for developing culturally appropriate measurement tools and interventions with important implications for research, policy, and service provision.