What will you be asked to do?
 

• Complete this online survey, which will take 30-40 minutes to finish.

 

That’s it! You only have to do the survey once. We won’t ask you to do anything else in the future.
The survey will ask you questions about you, your thoughts on being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQA+, your social and emotional wellbeing, friends and family, mental health (including suicide thoughts and behaviours), difficult things that may have happened in your life, and your experiences in health services (good and bad).

If you can’t or don’t want to do the survey online, just call us on 08 6319 1062 and complete the survey over the phone.

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You can skip any question that makes you uncomfortable or that you do not want to answer. Our aim is to understand a range of life experiences, so some of the questions might seem like they don’t apply to you. Some of the questions will be asking you about good things and others will focus on how you might experience not so good things. You can leave the survey at any time, and the answers you’ve given will be automatically submitted.

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You might want to have a support person with you while you’re doing the survey. If you’re worried that these questions might make you feel uncomfortable or distressed, you can ask someone you trust to sit with you while you complete the survey. Alternatively, it’s good to have someone in mind already that you can go to for support if you need it.

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What if you have trouble doing the survey online or over the phone?
If you have any special requirements, get in touch with the team on 08 6319 1062 or Rainbow.Knowledge@telethonkids.org.au or ask the person/organisation who shared this survey with you, and we’ll work out a way for you to do the survey.

Will we know who you are?
No. Your answers to the survey are completely anonymous, which means you do not have to give us your name and we cannot link your answers to you. This also means we cannot get rid of any of your answers once you have given them.

What happens if you don’t want to take part?
Nothing. It is entirely up to you whether you take part in the survey, and you will not be in trouble with the researchers or anyone else if you choose not to.

 

Who is involved in the project?
The project is paid for by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC). It is run by researchers at the Telethon Kids Institute, Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (Murdoch University) and Edith Cowan University. The team includes researchers who are Aboriginal, LGBTQA+, and Aboriginal and LGBTQA+.
We also partner with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. You can learn more about our team and our partners here.

How will doing this survey help me and my community?
Doing this survey will not directly help you, and you will NOT be paid, but it can:

• Give you a chance to be heard as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young person.

• Improve health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people

 

What will happen to my information?
Results from this survey will be written down in a report about social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and experiences with health services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people. We will also write articles for academic journals and present the findings to other researchers. The results will also be used to create health and training programs. No one will be able to tell that you took part in the survey in any of these reports or presentations.
The answers you provide will be grouped together with the answers from other young people who have taken the survey.
This information will be looked after by the researchers at Telethon Kids Institute, WA and the Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre, Murdoch University, WA.
Even though your answers cannot be linked to you, the information you give us is still private and covered by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). See our Privacy Policy for more information.
You can also sign up for a copy of the report at the end of the survey. Your email address will not be linked to your survey in any way.

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What are the possible risks?
We will ask questions about suicidal behaviour and thoughts, depression, anxiety, and difficult experiences such as discrimination.
Answering these questions may make you feel upset or bring up difficult memories for you. You can find a list of services and their contact details if you need support here. When we ask about suicide, we will provide you with the numbers of crisis lines to call.

 

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY FEELING SUICIDAL OR NEED HELP PLEASE CONTACT:
Lifeline: 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
QLife: 1800 184 527 or www.qlife.org.au
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or https://kidshelpline.com.au/
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

 

Cultural information
You are not expected to tell us about any cultural information or practices that should not be shared.

 

Complaints
If you would like to complain about the project, you can speak to:

 

Western Australia:
Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC)

• Ethics Officer

• (08) 9227 1631 or ethics@ahcwa.org

Northern Territory:
Northern Territory Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research Top End Human Research Ethics Committee (TEHREC)

• Ethics Administration Officer

• (08) 8946 8687, (08) 8946 8692 or ethics@menzies.edu.au

Central Australian Health Research Ethics Committee (CAHREC)

• Secretariat Support

• (08) 8951 4700 or cahrec@flinders.edu.au

South Australia:
Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC)

• Manager, Research and Ethics

• (08) 8273 7200 or Gokhan.Ayturk@ahcsa.org.au

New South Wales:
Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC)

• Research Ethics Coordinator

• (02) 9212 4777 or ethics@ahmrc.org.au

Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Victoria or Tasmania:
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

• Research Ethics Committee Secretariat

• (02) 6246 1681 or ethics@aiatsis.gov.au

If you think there has been a breach of your privacy, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

• 1300 363 992 or GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001

 

Ethics Approval
The ethics of this research project have been approved by:

• Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) #1000

• Department of Health and Menzies School of Health Research Top End HREC (TEHREC) #2021-3997

• Central Australian Health Research Ethics Committee (CAHREC) #2021-3997

• Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) #04-21-924

• Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council NSW (AH&MRC) #1787/21

• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) #EO231-20210114

• ACON Research Ethics Review Committee #202118

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If you have questions or worries about the study, please contact Assoc Prof Ashleigh Lin, Telethon Kids Institute on (08) 6319 1292 or Rainbow.Knowledge@telethonkids.org.au.