Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander SEWB measures

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander SEWB measures project was undertaken by the First Nations Health and Welfare Group at the AIHW in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander SEWB Measurement Consortium. This work endeavours to build understanding of the different types of SEWB measurement tools available by highlighting a range of instruments used for assessing the SEWB of First Nations people. 

This project has researched and collated dozens of SEWB measures and resulted in information on over 30 SEWB measures contained in the following material available on SEWB measures download material:

  • SEWB measures summary list 
  • SEWB measures inventory 
  • SEWB measures report.

These products include information about the purpose, focus population, measure type and format, geography, development, adaptation, use, initial study and validation, as well as other details (where available) of these measures. The summary list provides an overview of each of the measures. The SEWB measures inventory is an excel file with details about the measures and allows for comparison across the measures and their various elements. The SEWB measures report contains the same details as the inventory, but focuses on each measure individually. The information available on measures varies; greater detail is available for some measures than others, as some measures are used more regularly and others infrequently or in a limited capacity; some measures have been adapted or developed many years ago, while others may still be in the process of adaptation or development. 

The purposes of these measurement tools vary, ranging from measures for health-related quality of life, to mental health assessments, to psychosocial assessments and measures assessing SEWB. This project and the materials available here, aim to:

  • explore practical assessment tools for SEWB
  • provide understanding of the range of measurement tools available for different population groups among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • promote the use of tools that are specifically designed for assessing First Nations people where possible
  • encourage further development and/or refinement of culturally appropriate tools to assess First Nations people’s SEWB
  • provide understanding of the limitations of standard tools when used to assess First Nations people.

The measures are classified under three categories based as determined by the Consortium: culturally derived, culturally informed, and culturally adapted. The project materials include: 17 culturally derived measures; 2 culturally informed measures; 16 culturally adapted measures. 

Culturally derived measures

Culturally derived tools are unique instruments specifically designed for use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for which development was led by or involved First Nations clinical or cultural experts in the study and the tools were validated for use with First Nations people. Many culturally derived tools target specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, for example:

  • Aboriginal Resilience and Recovery Questionnaire (ARRQ) – adults; designed to assess a range of personal, relationship, community and cultural strengths and resources found to be associated with resilience, healing, and recovery from trauma.
  • First Nations Child Quality of Life (FirstNations-CQoL) – parents of children aged 0–12; developed to assess three domains of First Nations children’s wellbeing from the perspective of their parents and carers.
  • Good Spirit Good Life Assessment – adults aged 45 and over; designed to assess quality of life for older Aboriginal Australians with and without cognitive impairment.
  • Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist (WASC-Y) – young people aged 13–17; a self-report symptom checklist that aims to identify young Aboriginal people who are at risk of anxiety, depression and/or suicidal behaviours.
  • What Matters 2 Adults (WM2Adults) – adults; aims to generate a preference-based wellbeing measure underpinned by the values and preferences of First Nations adults.

Culturally informed measures

Culturally informed measures are those that have been informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews and experience or have sought to centralise and be led by community voices and priorities. For example:

  • Racial Identity and Self- Esteem of Children (IRISE_C) – an inventory developed to explore the elements of racial identity and self-esteem of urban, rural, and regional Aboriginal children aged 8-12.

Culturally adapted measures

Culturally adapted tools are standard instruments initially developed for the general population but have been adapted and evaluated for use with First Nations people (to varying degrees). For example:

  • Australian Aboriginal Version of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (AAVHTQ) – culturally responsive adaptation for Aboriginal people that measures specific traumatic stressors and trauma symptoms; includes specific cultural idioms of distress reactions relevant to First Nations people.
  • Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale (KMMS) – uses a culturally secure approach to screening for depression and anxiety during the perinatal period for First Nations women.
  • Modified Kessler Scale (MK-K5) – adapted from original tool to determine psychological status of First Nations peoples; it was developed in consultation with First Nations stakeholders for use in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey.
  • Pearlin Mastery Scale – measures personal control and mastery; cross-cultural adaptation with translation and back translation was conducted, and mastery was inversely correlated with measures of perceived stress and positively correlated with health behaviours.
  • Supportive Care Needs Assessment Tool for Indigenous Patients (SCNAT- IP) – adapted to serve as an assessment tool for First Nations people with cancer.SEWB measures download material
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