A psychometrically validated screening tool for Aboriginal adults aged 18 and above at risk of depression, suicidal behaviours, alcohol and drug use, impulsivity, and anxiety.
The WASC-A also measures cultural resilience as a moderator of risk. It is based on the Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist — Youth (WASC-Y) and was developed alongside the youth version in 2003.
Validation
Validation Study: Bright, C. (2012). Initial Validation of the Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist — Adults (WASC-A): a screening tool for Aboriginal adults (aged 18 and above) at risk of depression, suicidal behaviours, alcohol and drug use, impulsivity and anxiety.
The scale also determines levels of cultural resilience as a moderator of risk.
Research and Publications
- 📄 Culture-bound Syndromes in Aboriginal Australian Populations (PDF) — winner of the APS Altmetric Award for greatest reach of a published paper; the first validation of culture-bound syndromes with Aboriginal people
What’s in the WASC-A Manual
The WASC-A Manual is a comprehensive resource for anyone working in adult Aboriginal mental health. It covers:
- Development methodology of the WASC-A, including the rationale for a uniquely Aboriginal adult screening instrument.
- Current critique and review of the available adult Aboriginal mental health literature.
- Main outcomes of Dr Westerman’s PhD, including an overview of the development of both the WASC-Y and WASC-A.
- Australia-wide prevalence data from both scales — depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviours, drug and alcohol use, impulsivity, and cultural resilience.
- Covariance across disorders and the impact of cultural resilience as a moderator of risk.
- Risk rates for mental ill-health among Aboriginal youth and adults sampled with the WASC-Y and WASC-A, with implications for practice.
- Subsequent work building on Dr Westerman’s initial research, including:
- Validated culture-bound syndromes in Aboriginal populations across Australia.
- The development and validation of the Aboriginal Mental Health Cultural Competency Profile (CCP) and the General Cultural Competency Profile (GCCP).
- Delivery of IPS Cultural Competency Intervention Programs.
- Outcomes of IPS Whole-of-Community Suicide and Mental Health Intervention Programs — the principal applied use of WASC-Y and WASC-A data.
- Comprehensive Cultural and Clinical Validation Guidelines to support culturally best-practice counselling and assessment of Aboriginal clients.
The Manual content is also covered in the accredited training that grants access to the WASC-A.
Add the COMPREHENSIVE CLIENT INTERVIEW AND TREATMENT PLAN Digital Suite
The NEW digital WASC-A is now available alongside two unique digital add-on products that extend the screening tool into a complete clinical pathway:
product 1: a digital Culturally Informed Treatment Plan
Generates a tailored treatment plan from each WASC-A result. Plans are culturally informed, clinically structured, and downloadable — practitioners can add their own observations and use them as a foundation for therapeutic work with the client.
product 2: a digital Culturally Informed Guided Interview
Provides item-level pop-up prompts triggered by the client’s WASC-A responses. The Guided Interview walks practitioners through a culturally safe risk and clinical interview, with procedural and cultural guidance specific to interviewing at-risk Aboriginal adults.
Both add-ons can be purchased as pay-per-use packs or as annual unlimited subscriptions.
How to Access the digital WASC-A and digital products
Step 1 — Complete accreditation
The WASC-A is only accessible to practitioners who have completed Indigenous Mental Health, Complex Racial Trauma and Attachment accreditation training (previously known as the Aboriginal Mental Health Assessment and Suicide Prevention Workshops). WASC-A accreditation is included in this training. Practitioners already accredited in the WASC-Y are automatically accredited in the WASC-A.
Step 2 — Purchase the digital WASC-A Start-Up Pack
The WASC-A Start-Up Pack is a one-off purchase that gives you the WASC-A Manual and 30 digital WASC-A tests.
Step 3 — Add DIGITAL tests and digital products as you need them
Once you have your Start-Up Pack, you can purchase additional WASC-Y tests, Treatment Plans, and Guided Interviews in 30, 50, or 100 packs — or move to an unlimited annual subscription.
ORDER your digital WASC-A here
To order the Digital Culturally Guided Interviews or Treatment Plans contact us at admin@indigenouspsych.com.au
To discuss organisational or individual subscription contact us at admin@indigenouspsych.com.au