Ms Hayley Williams¹, Dr Kate Hunter², Dr Bronwyn Griffin^3,4, Professor Roy Kimble^3,5, Professor Kathleen Clapham⁶

¹School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University Of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, ²Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program and Injury Division, The George Institute of Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, ³Centre for Children’s Burns and Trauma Research, The University of Queensland, South bank, Australia, ⁴School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia, ⁵Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia, ⁶Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, The University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

Abstract:

Introduction:

Paediatric burn injuries cause a plethora of social and emotional challenges for patients and caregivers. A range of psychosocial interventions are commonly used to relieve patients’ pain, and theirs and caregivers’ emotional burdens. These interventions have not been trailed among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet continue to be used with these families. This study aimed to explore the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parenting during burns care and contextualise current psychosocial interventions within these approaches and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Methods:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parenting was explored through participant observations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paediatric burn patients’ appointments (n=54); yarning sessions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (n=20); and retrospective thinking aloud sessions (n=60) with burn health professionals. Audio files were transcribed, deidentified, coded using Grounded Theory analysis, and triangulated.

Results:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander caregivers adopt an engaged parenting approach that incorporates education and engagement in care, comforting and soothing, reassuring and encouraging, regulating emotions, conversational distraction and connection, prioritising care needs, and advocating for needs.

Discussion:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander caregivers’ parenting approaches are highly beneficial to their child’s healing and coping and facilitation of the burns care process. Current psychosocial interventions heavily focus on distraction, which does not align with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parenting approaches or effectively support these families. Paediatric burns care needs to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parenting approaches within care processes to effectively support the children and their families.

Biography:

Hayley Williams is a post-doctoral researcher with UQ’s School of Psychology. Hayley has worked in Indigenous health research for over a decade, using strengths-based and community-driven approaches. This work broadly focuses on improving culturally safe and trauma-informed care, First Nations youths’ social and emotional wellbeing, and First Nations families’ resilience.