Health Promotion Project: Yarn App for ATSI Youth Mental Health

This report outlines a health promotion project designed to address the mental health challenges faced by young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people (aged 15-24) in West Kimberley, Western Australia, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project centers on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a mobile application called "Yarn." The app aims to mitigate the increased loneliness, stress, anxiety, and potential for self-harm or suicide resulting from social isolation. The report details the program's design using the health belief model, focusing on perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. The project's target is the young ATSI population, aiming to connect them with family, friends, healthcare professionals, and essential services. An action plan outlines objectives, resource allocation, and timelines. The implementation phase includes data collection, area identification, and healthcare professional accessibility. Evaluation will be conducted through surveys to assess user experience and the program's impact on mental health. The project seeks to reduce loneliness and improve overall mental well-being by enhancing connectivity and access to support services.

HEALTH PROMOTION
PROJECT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Description and development of program.......................................................................................3
Designing of a program using health promotion planning model...............................................3
Target of program for community...............................................................................................5
Action plan and goals and objectives..............................................................................................5
Implementation................................................................................................................................7
Evaluation........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Covid-19 has drastically impacted both physical and mental health people. This situation
has increased loneliness of people, increased stress and anxiety level of people as well
(Arriagada, Hahmann & O’Donnell, 2020). This assessment will be focusing upon development,
implementation and evaluation of a health promotion project that can be used in the community
setting to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
(ATSI) of West Kimberley so that their loneliness issues can be resolved and chances of them
coming suicide or self- harm due to this loneliness can be reduced and they can remain connect
with their family members, friends, healthcare professionals and social workers over phone
itself. This assessment will lay emphasis upon Description and development of program with the
help of health promotion planning model (Talbot & Verrinder, 2019). For development of health
promotion program health belief model has been used as this mode explains and predicts
individual changes in health behaviours (The Health Belief Mode, 2020). It will also focus upon
goas and objectives of the program, action plan, implementation and evaluation.
Description and development of program
Designing of a program using health promotion planning model
Description of Program: Today due to Covid-19 situation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
(ATSI) youth aged 15-24 years are experiencing psychological and social tension. Social
distancing has majorly impacted their overall health especially mental health (Jones & et.al.,
2020). Not only this, it has made healthcare facilities, accessing daily essential supplies,
connecting with close members inaccessible or difficult because of which most of them are
choosing self-harm or suicide as an option (Arriagada, Hahmann & O’Donnell, 2020). In order
to tackle this situation a mobile application named Yarn will be developed as a health promotion
program. This will help people in connecting with each other and if any kind of food service or
medical supplies are required by them will also be delivered to them. This app will also provide
home visiting service as well if individual want someone to visit them and talk to them, then this
application will make it possible for them. This will directly help in bringing improvement
within their mental status.
Development of program:
There are various kinds of health promotion planning models that can be used for
development of a program to prevent or manage impact of Covid-19 on Aboriginal and Torres
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Strait Islander (ATSI) of West Kimberley in Western Australia (Byrne & et.al. 2016). In order to
tackle this situation and reduce chances of self-harm or suicide a mobile application will be
designed named Yarn so that loneliness or reduced interaction of young Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander (ATSI) people with their friends, family members and healthcare professionals
can be increased. In order to design of a health promotion planning program it is important to
identify needs of developing the program. For development of this health promotion program
health belief model will be used. It is an effective model that can be used for development of
prevention strategies for a health issue or disease.
 Perceived susceptibility: This Covid-19 situation is affecting mental
health of people because of isolation of cut-off from friends and family members because
of which cases of self-harm or suicide among young ATSI people has been increased. It is
important to focus upon easing anxiety level and concerns related to Covid-19.
 Perceived severity: it is a serious factor to be focused upon if this
loneliness is left untreated then it can result in increasing anxiety level which can
eventually disturb mental health of individual’s especially in young ATSI people.
 Perceived benefits: Development of a mobile App called Yarn can
help young ATSI people to remain connected with their friends, family members or
healthcare professionals over phone. One of the main benefits of this app is that young
individuals will be able to easily get food, essential and medical supplies. Not only this, if
people want someone to visit them and talk to them in Aboriginal slang, then they can
access this facility as well with the help of this app.
 Perceived barriers: One of the main barriers in this recommended
health promotion program is generation of awareness of availability of this application to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. It is quite difficult to generate awareness about any
kind of health program initiatives taken for ATSI people because of which it can work as a
barrier in this program.
 Cue to action: In order to generate awareness about this mobile
application social networking sites will be used as a greater number of people today are
present on social media. Personal messages will be done to target community people
(Mohr & et.al., 2017).
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 Self- efficacy: Health care professionals who will be using this
application will be provided special training so that they can identify issue because of
which particular individual is suffering from loneliness and whether they are about self-
harm themselves (Didarloo, Nabilou & Khalkhali, 2017). Volunteers who will be
providing food, essential and medical supplies to target community will also be provided
training so that they can deliver required supplies as soon as possible to such individual.
Target of program for community
The main target of developing this mobile application is to reduce loneliness of young
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of West Kimberley. This application will be
providing link to young people so that they can remain connect with their family members,
friends and health care professionals over phone. If they require any kind of food, essential and
medical supplies then these supplies will be delivered to them through by volunteers in the
community. The main focus of this program is to make availability of psychologist, healthcare
professionals, social workers for young people over phone whenever they are mentally disturbed
which can result in their self- harm or suicide.
Action plan and goals and objectives
Goal: the main goal of this mobile phone application is- To enhance connectivity of young
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people with their friends, family members and
healthcare professionals by talking in Aboriginal slang
Objectives: main objectives of this program are:
 To enhance provision of professional healthcare service for young
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people over phone within a time period 1
month.
 To increase availability of food, essential and medical supplies to the
community people on daily basis.
 To increase availability of healthcare professionals to visit individuals
at home and have yarn talk in Aboriginal slang
 To minimize cases of minimize loneliness and cases of suicide/self-
harm in young ATSI people of Kimberley
It is important to develop action plan or developing, implementing a health promotion
plan in an appropriate manner (Ersin & Bahar, 2017). Development of action plan will help in
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achieving main objectives of this program in a proper and appropriate manner (Porter, 2016). It
will further help in identification of main resources required for timely and effective
development of application (Sheppard & Thomas, 2020). This action plan will mainly focus
upon increasing awareness for the application and ways in which it will help in bringing changes
within behaviour of young individuals who are suffering from loneliness.
Action plan:
Objectives Who is responsible Resources required Timeline
Increase availability of food,
essential and medical supplies
Volunteers in the
community
Internet, mobile phones,
Yarn Application
Within one or to
days required
supplies will be
delivered.
Increase availability of healthcare
professionals over phone or to
visit
Healthcare professionals Internet, Yarn
application, pick and
drop facility, healthcare
professionals and
mobile phones
Within 3 hours
of applying for
healthcare
professional
service.
Increase connectivity of ATSI
young people with their family
member and friends
Service provider so that
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander (ATSI)
people do not face any
kind of problem while
connecting with their
close one’s though
phone.
Close members of
service users, internet,
mobile and Yarn
application
No time is
required to
connect with
close one’s over
phone with
family members
or friends.
Enhance availability of medical
help for young ATSI people who
is suffering from loneliness and
disturbed mental health
Service providers will be
responsible for
establishing proper
connection and
healthcare professionals
for verifying medical
facility required.
Healthcare
professionals,
pharmacist to check
availability of medical
resources required,
internet, mobile and
YARN application
With 6 hours
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Implementation
Priority Area: Improve mental health of Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)
people.
Goal: Yarn Application will be developed that will help in reducing loneliness of young people
and will enable them to connect with their family members, friends, access healthcare
professional help through phone and increase availability of food, medical supplies.
Performance measurement:
 Reduce in percentage of self-harm of suicide cases
 Improved overall physical and mental health of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
(ATSI) people.
 Reduced shortage of food and medical supplied in ATSI people
Objectives:
 To enhance provision of professional healthcare service for young
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people over phone within a time period 1
month.
 To increase availability of food, essential and medical supplies to the
community people on daily basis.
 To increase availability of healthcare professionals to visit individuals
at home and have yarn talk in Aboriginal slang
 To minimize cases of minimize loneliness and cases of suicide/self-
harm in young ATSI people of Kimberley
Activity Target
date
Resources required Result
Collect primary data of needs and
requirements of young Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people in
order to enhance their mental health
1 month Staff, data about areas
in which target
population live
Get to known needs and
requirement of ATSI
people that can enhance
their overall mental and
physical health
Identifying areas that are required to
be focused upon for delivering service
1 month Volunteer, staff,
camera, travelling
Can get to known how
many areas application
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to target community (Goldstein &
et.al., 2019).
will cover
Checking accessibility of those areas
where service is required to be
delivered
2 weeks Staff members Results will help in
identifying areas that are
accessible by any
vehicles
Checking availability of healthcare
professionals who can readily provide
service to target population
1 month Government
department of
healthcare
Will get to known
number of healthcare
professionals who will
readily provide their
service over phone and if
required in this COVID-
19 situation they will
visit the patient as well
Development, implementation and
testing of application based upon
information gathered (Schober,
Bowers & Posner, 2019).
4 months Developers, staff
members
App can be developed
which will be used by
target population
Marketing and promotion of
application
1 month Staff members,
marketing team
Awareness about
availability of app will
be increased.
Evaluation
In order to evaluate effectiveness of the project survey will be conducted in which users
of the application will be asked to participate in post-service survey in which their experience of
using application, service provided by them, time induration in which service was provided to
them (World Health Organization, 2019). Health care professionals will also be asked to
participate in a survey every time they provide service of their service users where they will be
providing details of mental health of patient before provision of service and any kind of
improvement after provision of service in their mental health.
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Success of the program will help in increasing closeness and connectivity between
service users, their friends, family members and between health care professionals. If self-harm
and suicide cases decreases then it can help in identifying success of the project. But there are
few things that can go wrong in this program i.e. there are many areas that will not be accessible
by vehicle so it can become difficult to find volunteers in those areas and provide food and
medial supplies and services to those individuals.
CONCLUSION
From the above assignment it has been concluded that there are various kinds of models
that can be used for development of healthcare program. Here health belief model has been used
that has successfully helped in explaining and predicting ways in which changes in overall
mental health behaviour of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people of West
Kimberley can be increased positively. It is important to develop action and implementation plan
so that the developed program can be implemented in a proper manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arriagada, P., Hahmann, T., & O’Donnell, V. (2020). Indigenous people in urban areas:
Vulnerabilities to the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19.
Byrne, D. W., & et.al. (2016). Modifiable healthy lifestyle behaviors: 10-year health outcomes
from a health promotion program. American journal of preventive medicine. 51(6).
1027-1037.
Didarloo, A., Nabilou, B., & Khalkhali, H. R. (2017). Psychosocial predictors of breast self-
examination behavior among female students: an application of the health belief model
using logistic regression. BMC public health. 17(1). 861.
Dixon, L. B., & Patel, S. R. (2020). The application of implementation science to community
mental health. World Psychiatry, 19(2), 173.
Ersin, F., & Bahar, Z. (2017). Effects of nursing interventions planned with the health promotion
models on the breast and cervical cancer early detection behaviors of the
women. International Journal of Caring Sciences. 10(1). 421.
Goldstein, D. A., & et.al. (2019). Measurement-based care implementation in a Veterans Affairs
primary care–mental health integration program. Psychological Services.
Jones, B., & et.al. (2020). COVID‐19 pandemic: The impact on vulnerable children and young
people in Australia. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Mohr, D. C., & et.al. (2017). Accelerating digital mental health research from early design and
creation to successful implementation and sustainment. Journal of medical Internet
research, 19(5), e153.
Porter, C. M. (2016). Revisiting Precede–Proceed: A leading model for ecological and ethical
health promotion. Health Education Journal. 75(6). 753-764.
Rodriguez-Villa, E., & et.al. (2020). The digital clinic: Implementing technology and
augmenting care for mental health.
Schober, D. J., Bowers, S. M., & Posner, A. (2019). Priority Issues from a Health
Implementation Plan: A Qualitative Study of Local Foundation and Nonprofit Leaders’
Perceptions. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 5(2), 217-231.
Sheppard, J., & Thomas, C. B. (2020). Community pharmacists and communication in the time
of COVID-19: applying the health belief model. Research in Social and Administrative
Pharmacy.
Sulat, J. S., & et.al. (2018). The validity of health belief model variables in predicting behavioral
change. Health Education.
Talbot, L. & Verrinder, G., (2019). Promoting health: the primary health care approach, 6TH
EDN.
Usher, K (2020). COVID-19 and social restrictions: the potential mental health impact of social
distancing and isolation for young Indigenous Australians. Australasian Psychiatry,
1039856220943018.
World Health Organization. (2019). Workshop on resource mapping and multisectoral
partnership coordination for the implementation of the national action plan for health
security: 13-14 March 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (No. WHO/WHE/CPI/2019.21).
World Health Organization.
Online
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The Health Belief Mode. 2020. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/health-promotion/2/theories-and-models/health-
belief >
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