UNE researchers are about to embark on a landmark study of Aboriginal youth and what influences their wellbeing and resilience.

Head of the School of Health, Professor Kim Usher, said Aboriginal youth in the 15-18-year group can engage in a range of dangerous and sometimes unlawful behaviours. Her research team, in collaboration with colleagues at Murdoch University, Western Australia, are exploring why some young people in the same high-risk environment are more resilient than others, and what specific health services may help those that are struggling.

The Australian Research Council-funded project will compare the experiences of urban and rural youth. Those who engage with the UNE’s  health and education clinic at the Coledale Community Centre, in Tamworth, will form the rural component of the study.

Professor Usher said drug use, violence, unemployment, physical isolation and a lack of purpose are some of the challenges young Indigenous people face. “But we are taking a positive approach in trying to identify the ways that they strive to grow and overcome such adverse conditions,” she said. “Often people who have experienced hardship and survived have much to share, and we hope to discover ways to strengthen both the kids and their communities.”

Researchers will measure the resilience and wellbeing of a group of young people through a series of interviews and surveys over the next three years.