Wellbeing Ways: Study Protocol for Assessing and Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students' Wellbeing in Queensland Secondary Schools

The Wellbeing Ways study protocol outlines a three-year, co-designed mixed-methods project in Queensland secondary schools that implements the culturally grounded What Matters 2Youth measure to assess Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' wellbeing and develop place-based support strategies.

The Gist

Imagine a school as a large, bustling garden. For a long time, the gardeners (teachers and staff) have been trying to help the young plants (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students) grow, but they've been using a ruler designed for a completely different type of plant. That ruler measures things like height and leaf count in a way that doesn't capture the unique roots, soil needs, or the way these specific plants thrive in their own cultural soil.

This paper, titled "Wellbeing Ways," is a proposal for a new gardening project in Queensland, Australia. It aims to fix the measuring tool and then use the new data to build a better support system.

Here is the breakdown of the project in simple terms:

1. The Problem: The Wrong Ruler

The paper explains that while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are incredibly strong and resilient, their young people face huge challenges. They are more likely to feel distressed, struggle with school, and face higher risks of suicide compared to their non-Indigenous peers.

The main issue isn't just the challenges themselves, but how we try to measure them. Current "wellbeing" tools are like a Western thermometer: they only measure "fever" (what is wrong or sick). They miss the holistic picture of health that includes family connections, spiritual ties to the land, and cultural identity. Because the tools don't fit, schools can't accurately see what the students actually need.

2. The New Tool: "What Matters 2Youth" (WM2Y)

To fix this, the researchers created a new measuring tool called What Matters 2Youth (WM2Y).

• Think of it as a custom-made map. Instead of just looking for "sickness," this map looks at eight different "territories" of a young person's life: Belonging, Connection, Caring for oneself, Safe spaces, Hopes for the future, Independence, General Health, and dealing with Respect/Racism.
• Crucially, this map wasn't drawn by outsiders in a lab. It was co-designed (drawn together) with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth aged 12–17. It speaks their language and values their culture.

3. The Project Plan: A Four-Step Journey

The "Wellbeing Ways" project is a three-year experiment happening in four different secondary schools in Queensland. It follows a four-step recipe to ensure nothing is forced and everything is culturally safe:

• Phase 1: The "Yarning" Workshop (Planning)
  Before doing anything, the researchers sit down with school staff and community Elders for "yarning" (a traditional form of storytelling and conversation). They don't just hand over a clipboard; they ask, "How do we make this work in your school?" They figure out the best times to talk to students, how to get permission from families, and how to keep the data safe. It's like checking the soil before planting.

• Phase 2: Using the New Map (Data Collection)
  Over the course of one year, the schools use the WM2Y tool to check in with students. This isn't a one-time test; it's a longitudinal check-in, like taking a photo of the garden every month to see how the plants are changing over time. The goal is to gather real data on what matters most to these students.

• Phase 3: Checking the Results (Evaluation)
  After the year is up, the team gathers again to ask: "Did this tool work? Was it comfortable for the students? Did it give us useful information?" They look at the numbers and the stories to see what patterns emerged.

• Phase 4: Building the Greenhouse (Co-Designing Support)
  This is the most important part. The data from Phase 2 isn't just filed away. It is used as a blueprint to co-design new support systems.

  • If the data shows students feel unsafe, the community builds a "safe space."
  • If they feel disconnected, they create activities to strengthen community ties.
  • Students, Elders, and staff work together to build these resources. It's like the gardeners and the plants working together to build a new greenhouse that fits the specific climate of that school.

4. The Rules of the Game

The paper emphasizes that this project is led by Indigenist methodology. This means:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the captains of the ship. They are in charge of the decision-making, not just the researchers.
• Strengths-based approach: Instead of focusing only on what is broken, the project focuses on the incredible resilience and strengths of the community.
• Ethics: The project follows strict rules to ensure cultural safety, privacy, and that the community owns the data.

5. The Goal

The paper doesn't promise to "cure" everything immediately. Instead, it aims to:

• Prove that this new, culturally grounded way of measuring wellbeing works in schools.
• Give schools real-time data to understand their students better.
• Create a model that other schools can copy, helping to close the gap in health and education outcomes for Indigenous youth.

In short: This paper is about swapping a broken, one-size-fits-all ruler for a custom-made, culturally rich map, and then using that map to build a garden where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can truly thrive.

Technical Summary

Technical Summary: Wellbeing Ways Protocol

Problem Statement
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in Australia face significant disparities in health, education, and justice systems, with psychological distress rates nearly double those of their non-Indigenous peers and suicide being the leading cause of death for those aged 15–24. A critical barrier to addressing these issues is the lack of culturally appropriate tools to assess and support student wellbeing in school settings. Existing measures are predominantly based on Western biomedical constructs, failing to capture the holistic, relational, and culturally grounded understandings of wellbeing held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Furthermore, schools often struggle to deliver effective support due to a lack of valid, culturally responsive data to inform interventions.

Methodology
The "Wellbeing Ways" project is a three-year, mixed-methods study conducted in partnership with four diverse secondary schools in Queensland. The study employs a strengths-based, Indigenist methodology guided by co-design principles and the i-PARiHS (integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services) framework. The research is governed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership at each site, ensuring cultural oversight and accountability.

The study is structured into four distinct phases:

• Phase 1 (Pre-implementation): Yarning workshops are conducted with school staff, education workers, and community stakeholders to co-design culturally safe implementation strategies, addressing timing, consent, staff training, and data protocols.
• Phase 2 (Implementation): The What Matters 2Youth (WM2Y) measure is administered longitudinally over 12 months. WM2Y is a newly developed, strengths-based wellbeing tool co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (aged 12–17). It assesses eight domains: Belonging, Connection, Care and Self-care, Safe spaces, Aspirations, Independence, Health, and Respect and Racism. Administration is led by trained school staff with research team support.
• Phase 3 (Evaluation): Post-implementation yarning workshops evaluate the acceptability, cultural safety, and utility of the WM2Y data. Quantitative data is analyzed for patterns and changes over time, while qualitative data explores barriers and enablers to sustainability.
• Phase 4 (Co-design of Supports): Using data from Phase 2 and community priorities, workshops with students, Elders, staff, and service providers co-design place-based wellbeing resources, activities, and referral pathways.

Data collection includes quantitative WM2Y scores, qualitative data from workshops (audio, field notes), and implementation process data. Analysis involves descriptive statistics, longitudinal modeling, and thematic analysis conducted in partnership with Indigenous researchers to ensure cultural integrity.

Key Contributions

• Implementation of WM2Y: This project represents the first application of the What Matters 2Youth measure in a school setting, translating a co-designed research tool into practice.
• Indigenist Governance Model: The study establishes a governance structure where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices lead decision-making, cultural oversight, and data interpretation, adhering to the AIATSIS Code of Ethics.
• Co-Designed Support Systems: The project moves beyond measurement to actively co-designing place-based interventions and referral pathways tailored to specific school contexts.
• Mixed-Methods Framework: The integration of the i-PARiHS framework with Indigenist methodologies provides a structured approach to implementing culturally safe research in educational settings.

Results
As this document is a protocol paper describing the study design and methodology, it does not report empirical results or outcome data. The paper outlines the planned procedures for data collection and analysis, noting that findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, community presentations, and policy briefs once the study is complete.

Significance and Claims
The authors position the Wellbeing Ways project as a critical step in shifting how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth wellbeing is understood and supported. By centering Indigenous leadership and utilizing a culturally grounded, strengths-based measure, the project aims to:

1. Demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of culturally grounded wellbeing measurement in secondary schools.
2. Generate real-time data to inform targeted, responsive support for students.
3. Develop sustainable, co-designed resources that reflect community priorities.
4. Contribute to national "Closing the Gap" targets by improving health and education outcomes through culturally responsive systems of care.

The paper asserts that this approach addresses longstanding gaps in wellbeing research by ensuring that measurement and support are not only culturally safe but also driven by the communities they serve.