Workshop - Youth Mental Health and Climate Change

An invitation to participate in a research workshop

You and other practitioners who work with young people living in Western Australia are invited to take part in a workshop for the research project Climate change and the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia. During this workshop we will yarn about young people’s experiences of climate change, how these affect young people’s wellbeing, and what support young people need to deal with these feelings.

You will be asked to provide consent before you take part in the workshop.

What is this project about?

A group of people are leading a research project to understand how climate change affects the feelings of children and young people in Australia with a particular focus on Western Australia. 

People involved in this project are young people involved in climate advocacy, Aboriginal Elders and community members, and people from Edith Cowan University, the Australian National University, The Kids Research Institute Australia, Goomburrup Aboriginal Corporation, Youth Affairs Council of WA, WA Association for Mental Health, Ngarlark Katitjin and Climate Justice Union WA. This project will help young people, those who care for young people, and those working to support children and young people (for example people working in child health services and education). This project is funded by Healthway.

Who should take part in these workshops?

A series of online workshops will be held for the following groups of people living in Western Australia:

·       Parents and caregivers of children and young people aged 0-18.

·       Practitioners who work with young people in mental health, youth, and Aboriginal health sectors.

We are interested in hearing from everyone, independent of what your own opinions or concerns about climate change are. 

Reimbursement

To thank you for your time and expertise you will receive an honoraria payment, if you are not participating in a paid position.  You will be reimbursed through electronic funds transfer or gift card.

Has this research been approved?

This research project is approved by the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) [HREC1156] and Edith Cowan University’s Human Research Ethics Committee [2022-03565-GODDEN]. It meets the standards of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2025. 

For more information about this approval, please contact WAAHEC Human Research Ethics Officer on (08) 9227 1631 or ethics@ahcwa.org.

Research Participation Information and Consent

Please note that this workshop is part of a research project titled: Climate change and the mental health and wellbeing of young people in WA. This project aims to understand how climate change affects the feelings of children and young people in Australia with a particular focus on Western Australia. 

The workshop will discuss young people’s experiences of climate change, how these affect young people’s wellbeing, and what support young people need to deal with these feelings. We will take voice recordings of group discussions, write notes, take photos of any group brainstorming, drawings or other ways of visually expressing group ideas.

Before registering and attending the workshop, please read the Participant Information Sheet [link], which includes details of what the research project involves, what your participation involves, benefits and potential risks from participating and who to contact if you have questions. The information sheet also explains the data collected is for the purpose of evaluation and research only and that the information you share will be kept anonymous so you cannot be identified, and it will be stored in a safe place.  

If you have any questions, please ask by emailing Naomi Godden at n.godden@ecu.edu.au or ask a facilitator on the day.  

When you register you will be asked to consent that you understand the nature of the research. You will be reminded of the research activities during the workshop and have the option to consent or withdraw from any of them at any time.  

This research project is approved by the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) [HREC1156] and Edith Cowan University’s Human Research Ethics Committee [2022-03565-GODDEN]. It meets the standards of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2025 (Updated 2018).