Some Evidence-Based Strategies to Build on Cultural Strengths for Better Mental Wellbeing

The strengths of people arriving in Australia with and without a refugee background have been underestimated. This paper will focus on the strategies that selected cultural groups use prior and following migration as identified by a study and the implementation of community engagement and education activities. In addition, it will focus on the key components of three versions of a group program designed to build resilience in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children, adolescents and adults to learn to cope with acculturation stress. The findings of different programs implemented by the Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention Program of the Qld Transcultural Mental Health Centre will also demonstrate how existing CALD community strengths have been enhanced by evidence-based programs. Examples of programs are: the Building Resilience in Transcultural Australians (BRiTA Futures), the Depression and Chronic Disease Self-Management and the Multicultural Mental Health Literacy programs that use bilingual and bicultural community mental health promoters for effective community engagement and program implementation.