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Exploring the role of self-efficacy in social and emotional well-being help-seeking behaviours for Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia

E. Carlin,Shannon Cowdrey-Fong,Zaccariah Cox,Jenni Lowe,Lorraine Anderson,Pat Dudgeon

Published 2025 in Global Mental Health

ABSTRACT

Abstract Improving social and emotional well-being (SEWB) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is central to achieving health equity in Australia. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) deliver SEWB programmes that are culturally grounded and community-led. While service design and delivery have been explored, less is known about how Aboriginal peoples’ perceptions of self-efficacy influence their SEWB help-seeking behaviours and self-management. This study re-analysed 22 one-on-one interviews with Aboriginal community members from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In this context, self-efficacy is understood as an individual’s belief in their ability to support their own SEWB, shaping their motivation, persistence and responses to challenges. The findings highlight the importance of family, culture and connection to Country as critical enablers of self-efficacy. The concept of ‘strength’, grounded in cultural identity, relationships, and personal growth, emerged as an important foundation for SEWB self-management. The study affirms that self-efficacy can be developed over time through mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal encouragement, and emotional regulation. It concludes that culturally safe services and environments that nurture self-efficacy are essential to improving SEWB outcomes.

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