Connecting the health of country with the health of people: application of "caring for country" in improving the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand

Yaqoot Fatima; Yongbo Liu; Anne Cleary; Julie Dean; Valance Smith; Stephanie King; Shaun Solomon

doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100648

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Connecting the health of country with the health of people: application of "caring for country" in improving the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand

Journal article

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Connecting the health of country with the health of people: application of "caring for country" in improving the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand

Yaqoot Fatima, Yongbo Liu, Anne Cleary, Julie Dean, Valance Smith, Stephanie King and Shaun Solomon

The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific, Vol.31, pp.1-10

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100648

PMID: 36444333

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Abstract

caring for country

Indigenous peoples

social and emotional wellbeing

mental health

Emerging evidence from the western literature suggests an increasing focus on applying nature-based interventions for mental health improvements. However, in Indigenous communities, caring for country has always been central to the Indigenous way of life. Knowing that nature-based interventions effectively improve mental health outcomes, this review collated evidence on the application of caring for country in improving social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand. Three studies from Australia and one from New Zealand, explored the role of country or whenua (land) in the lives of Indigenous people. Participation in caring-for country activities was associated with lower levels of psychological distress and strengthened guardianship rela-tionship with country, which positively affected SEWB. This systematic review offers preliminary evidence on the role of caring for country activities in improving the SEWB of Indigenous peoples and highlights the need for strengths -based approaches to improve the SEWB of Indigenous peoples.

Details

Title: Connecting the health of country with the health of people: application of "caring for country" in improving the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Yaqoot Fatima (Corresponding Author) - James Cook University
Yongbo Liu - The University of Queensland
Anne Cleary - The University of Queensland
Julie Dean - The University of Queensland
Valance Smith - Auckland University of Technology
Stephanie King - James Cook University
Shaun Solomon - James Cook University
Publication details: The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific, Vol.31, pp.1-10
Publisher: The Lancet Publishing Group
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100648
ISSN: 2666-6065
PMID: 36444333
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Thompson Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991212679502621
Output Type: Journal article

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