Screening for depression in young Indigenous people: building on a unique community initiative
Linton R. Harriss A C D , Mary Kyle B , Katrina Connolly B , Edward Murgha B , Merton Bulmer B , Darren Miller B , Paul Munn B , Paul Neal B , Kingsley Pearson B , Melanie Walsh B , Sandra Campbell A , Maximus Berger A , Robyn McDermott A C and Malcolm McDonald A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia.
B Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, 1 Bukki Road, Yarrabah, Qld 4871, Australia.
C School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: linton.harriss@jcu.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 24(4) 343-349 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY18006
Submitted: 9 January 2018 Accepted: 20 May 2018 Published: 9 August 2018
Abstract
Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation (GYHSAC) is an Indigenous community-controlled health organisation providing comprehensive primary care to the people of Yarrabah in far north Queensland, Australia. GYHSAC conducts an annual Young Person’s Health Check (YPC) for people aged 15–25 years based on the Medical Benefits Schedule Item 715. However, the YPC is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community, and in 2016, in response to concerns about psychological risk among Indigenous youth, GYHSAC teamed up with James Cook University to trial an adapted PHQ-9 depression screening tool (aPHQ-9) as part of the YPC. This study describes the 2016 YPC event, reports the prevalence of depressive symptoms, examines local issues related to the use of the screening tool and proposes recommendations for future health screening. Experienced health professionals conducted the aPHQ-9 assessment in a private area of the clinic. One-in-five young people were found to have moderate–severe symptoms or self-harm ideation in the previous 2 weeks; they were referred to the mental health service. The aPHQ-9 screening process was found to be straightforward and well accepted by staff and youth. Importantly, it provided valuable ‘space’ to facilitate communication on sensitive issues and was a conduit for speedy referral and follow up by trained staff. Based on our experience, we recommend dedicated depression screening in future routine community health checks for young people and adults.
Additional keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, health screening, primary health care, recommendations.
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