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McKay, Kathryn
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Given Name
Kathryn
Kathryn
Surname
McKay
UNE Researcher ID
une-id:kmckay8
Email
kmckay8@une.edu.au
Preferred Given Name
Kathryn
School/Department
School of Rural Medicine
4 results
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- Publication'Alive and Kicking Goals!': Preliminary findings from a Kimberley suicide prevention programSuicide is an enormous problem in the Kimberley, a region in northern-Western Australia. An 18-year-old Indigenous male is seven-times more likely to die by suicide, compared to his non-Indigenous peers. 'Alive and Kicking Goals!' (AKG) was a pilot program that took an innovative approach to suicide prevention peer education. Players from the Broome Saints Football Club formed a youth sub-committee. Guided by a Project Mentor (PM), these young men undertook training in suicide prevention in order to become Peer Educators (PEs) for the Kimberley region. AKG created a safe space for healing which allowed these young men to come to terms with the 'cycle of grief' experienced in the region. AKG also tackled suicide stigma as the PEs, who were well-respected sportsmen, demonstrated that seeking help does not display weakness. At the conclusion of the pilot, 16 young men became PEs. They learned practical skills in suicide awareness and prevention which they can teach within and across the different communities within the Kimberley region. Preliminary results from this pilot have informed ways in which AKG can be developed for the future. Further research can indicate to long-term positive impacts.
- Publication'Young Men Being Real': Perceptions and Responsibilities of the Peer Educators in Alive and Kicking Goals!In the Kimberley region of northern-Western Australia, suicide is an issue which not only deeply impacts upon many communities but also requires prevention initiatives appropriate to its unique cultures and place. Alive & Kicking Goals! (AKG) is a community-based and community-driven grass-roots suicide awareness and prevention program. One of AKG's strengths is its Peer Educators - young Aboriginal men and women who run workshops grounded in their own positively-framed and local DVD.
- PublicationFacebook and Suicide Grief: Tracking the Story of Bereavement through One Social MediumThe grief following a suicide death has long been considered different to other forms of bereavement. One key feature of this difference is stigma which, in many societies and cultures, can leave the suicide bereaved isolated and disconnected from their community. Previous research examining the experiences of the suicide bereaved report feelings of being silenced - left both without a voice to articulate grief and without an audience to hear their stories. Facebook has occupied a somewhat dichotomous role within suicide research. Initially such social media was viewed with uncertainty, particularly as it remains difficult to ensure the safety of vulnerable people who disclose suicidal feelings in such open fora. This may be exacerbated by the fact that a person's number of Facebook 'friends' may advertise popularity but may not be indicative of their true connectedness to individuals or a community. However, the positive role Facebook can play in giving the suicide bereaved a voice in their grief - allowing them to tell their story - has been little examined. In remote communities, where access to traditional modes of help-seeking can be limited by distance and lack of services, Facebook can be used positively to not only remain connected to others but also access information on services which can provide professional counseling and support. A case study in a remote Australian Aboriginal community demonstrates the ways in which Facebook has provided an accessible and valuable tool for an individual recently bereaved by suicide. By analysing the trajectory of the language used over time, and the way the story of grief was told, it can be seen that the use of Facebook facilitated healing and reconnection to the community. This discourse opens up new ideas to the ways in which Facebook and other social media may be employed to better assist those experiencing grief, identify vulnerabilities and ensure greater connection to services at appropriate times for those who require them.
- PublicationTalking through the Dead: The Impact and Interplay of Lived Grief after SuicideIn the aftermath of suicide, grief becomes a multi-faceted experience. Traditionally, this grief was silenced where the shame attached to suicide invalidated a person's need for expression. Even now, it can be difficult for people to fully articulate their grief, let alone find an empathetic audience. How do we examine this grief to more clearly hear the voices of the bereaved, and to better understand how to support those who are grieving a suicide death? Indeed, the ripple of suicide grief touches more than those traditionally considered to be impacted by the death. Whole communities can be affected and it cannot be presumed that researchers do not have their own lived experiences of suicide bereavement. In this way, the newly-opened discourse around the experience of suicide grief needs to be dissected within more practical and appropriate research. A balance needs to be created in research where the voices of grief can be included but the experiential context understood and respected.