The Gaawaadhi Gadudha logo artwork is by Laurance Magick Dennis. It represents the meeting of fresh (Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay) and salt (Yuin-Djirringanj) water. The horseshoe-like shapes are people sitting around a fire. The oval image at the centre is a coolamon (traditional carrying vessel). The dots around the image are ancestors looking on.

While we use the word ‘Aboriginal’ to explain the terminology of ‘the health gap’ in current research and policy, we would like to acknowledge it as a colonised term. We advocate for shifting to the use of cultural group names as identifiers. Where this is not possible, we use ‘Indigenous’.

Could culture unlock better social and emotional wellbeing for mob?

Our clinical trial is underway

After careful work by the Gaawaadhi Gadudha team, we’re thrilled to announce that participant recruitment has begun for our second major research study: our co-designed Cultural Health Program.

This is a major milestone. The Cultural Health Program clinical trial builds on evidence collected in our first study, about how walaays (cultural camps) improve the health of mob. Our findings, published in 2024, indicated that the camps greatly impacted participants’ social, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing.

The current study will produce rigorous evidence about the impact of more prolonged cultural participation on social and emotional wellbeing.

The vision

This trial brings to life a vision shared by three senior Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay and Yuin Cultural Knowledge Holders. It is supported by passionate multidisciplinary researchers from universities around Australia.

This vision is to produce academic evidence for a strengths-based approach to Indigenous health, in order to begin to shift Australia’s government policy. We’re excited to take the next major step towards acknowledging the longstanding role of culture in supporting the health of Indigenous Australians.

Our co-designed cultural health program

Our 8-week Cultural Health Program is designed by our cultural governance group for mob in their local areas. The program brings together Indigenous people from Northwest and Southcoast NSW to strengthen language, culture and connection to Country and overall wellbeing through a series of cultural activities.

It includes yarning circles, language sessions, cultural medicines workshops, cultural foods gathering and cultural camps on Country.

This study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Measuring impact

Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers will measure the impact of the program using rigorous and culturally appropriate methods. These include yarning circles and a survey.

This randomised clinical trial uses a stepped-wedge design. In other words, program delivery will be staggered. This is so we can measure the wellbeing of a control group of those who have not yet received the program, while ensuring all study participants receive the program.

We'll use a novel Cultural Health Scale survey to measure the impact of the program on the social and emotional wellbeing of adult participants. Our scale asks participants various questions about their connection to country, culture, mob and other questions pertaining to their cultural health.

Piloting a new Cultural Health Scale

Our first pressing task is to pilot and validate the Cultural Health Scale via an online survey. This scale is the first of its kind.

There are no existing scales that measure the relationship between culture and social and emotional wellbeing among Indigenous Australians in NSW. So, our cultural governance group and researchers created a bespoke measure.

Community-based researchers (Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay, Yuin locals from Tamworth, Nowra and Sydney) are currently recruiting 120 participants to do validate the scale.

As part of this pilot, we will ensure our survey questions are user-friendly. We will also iron out any technical or logistical kinks prior to implementing the scale as part of the trial.

Next steps

Working with our Aboriginal Medical Service partners, we are currently inviting mob who live in and around Tamworth and Nowra to take part in our Cultural Health Program.

We will roll out the first Program later this year. It will run across 4 8-week periods in 2025 and 2026.

We look forward to exploring whether our bespoke Cultural Health Program can improve the lives for some Indigenous Australians.