title: Psycho-social resilience, vulnerability and suicide prevention: impact evaluation of a mentoring approach to modify suicide risk for remote Indigenous Australian students at boarding school.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The proposed study was developed in response to increased suicide risk identified in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are compelled to attend boarding schools across Queensland when there is no secondary schooling provision in their remote home communities. It will investigate the impact of a multicomponent mentoring intervention to increase levels of psychosocial resilience. We aim to test the null hypothesis that students' resilience is not positively influenced by the intervention. The 5-year project was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council from December 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrated mixed methods approach will be adopted; each component iteratively informing the other. Using an interrupted time series design, the primary research methods are quantitative: 1) assessment of change in students' resilience, educational outcomes and suicide risk; and 2) calculation of costs of the intervention. Secondary methods are qualitative: 3) a grounded theoretical model of the process of enhancing students' psychosocial resilience to protect against suicide. Additionally, there is a tertiary focus on capacity development: more experienced researchers in the team will provide research mentorship to less experienced researchers through regular meetings; while Indigenous team members provide cultural mentorship in research practices to non-Indigenous members.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Australia's suicide prevention policy is progressive but a strong service delivery model is lacking, particularly for Indigenous peoples. The proposed research will potentially improve students' levels of resilience to mitigate against suicide risk. Additionally, it could reduce the economic and social costs of Indigenous youth suicide by obtaining agreement on what is good suicide prevention practice for remote Indigenous students who transition to boarding schools for education, and identifying the benefits-costs of an evidence-based multi-component mentoring intervention to improve resilience.
authors.affiliation: The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. janya.mccalman@jcu.edu.au.|School of Human Health and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia, Cairns Square, Level 3, Corner Abbott and Shields Streets, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. janya.mccalman@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Janya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCalman
authors.affiliation: The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. Roxanne.bainbridge@jcu.edu.au.|School of Human Health and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia, Cairns Square, Level 3, Corner Abbott and Shields Streets, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. Roxanne.bainbridge@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Roxanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bainbridge
authors.affiliation: Transition Support Service, Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment, P O Box 2268, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. Sandra.russo@dete.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Transition Support Service, Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment, P O Box 2268, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. Katrina.rutherford@dete.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.affiliation: The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. Komla.tsey@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Komla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsey
authors.affiliation: Apunipima Cape York Health Council, PO box 12045, Westcourt, QLD, 4870, Australia. Mark.wenitong@apunipima.org.au.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wenitong
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW, 22-32 King St, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia. a.shakeshaft@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakeshaft
authors.affiliation: CQUniversity, 160 Ann Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia. c.doran@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.affiliation: The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia. susan.jacups2@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacups
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
references.citation: Implement Sci. 2013;8:129
references.pmid: 24171867
references.citation: Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;44(9):791-9
references.pmid: 20815665
references.citation: J Clin Pharm Ther. 2002 Aug;27(4):299-309
references.pmid: 12174032
references.citation: J Prim Prev. 2011 Dec;32(5-6):237-51
references.pmid: 22143322
references.citation: Health Soc Care Community. 2010 Mar;18(2):169-79
references.pmid: 19804554
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2014;14:1263
references.pmid: 25495008
references.citation: Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005 Apr;29(2):112-6
references.pmid: 15915613
references.citation: Adolescence. 2007 Summer;42(166):287-310
references.pmid: 17849937
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2013;13:726
references.pmid: 23919727
references.citation: Qual Health Res. 2013 Feb;23(2):275-88
references.pmid: 23208201
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2010 May;38(5):566-8
references.pmid: 20409504
references.citation: Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Jul;45(7):532-8
references.pmid: 21452929
references.citation: J Prim Prev. 2005 Mar;26(2):189-201
references.pmid: 15977049
references.citation: Child Dev Perspect. 2013 Dec 1;7(4):null
references.pmid: 24288578
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2007 Aug;33(2):162-8
references.pmid: 17673105
references.citation: Aust N Z J Public Health. 2000 Oct;24(5):509-14
references.pmid: 11109688
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2005 Jul;95(7):1238-44
references.pmid: 15933239
references.citation: JAMA. 2005 Oct 26;294(16):2064-74
references.pmid: 16249421
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2013;13:463
references.pmid: 23663493
references.citation: Med J Aust. 2006 May 15;184(10):502-5
references.pmid: 16719748
references.citation: Am J Community Psychol. 2010 Sep;46(1-2):36-48
references.pmid: 20532613