The first culturally and scientifically validated psychological test developed specifically for Aboriginal Australian youth aged 13–17.
The WASC-Y identifies Aboriginal youth at risk of depression, suicidal behaviours, alcohol and drug use, impulsivity, and anxiety. It also measures cultural resilience as a moderator of risk.
The WASC-Y was developed by Dr Tracy Westerman AM as part of her PhD in 2003 and has since been validated with over 1,200 Aboriginal youth. It was cited by Canadian Health (2009) as a “substantial contribution” to Aboriginal youth suicide research.
What the WASC-Y Has Made Possible
The development of the WASC-Y and the large-scale screening of Aboriginal youth that followed have delivered a number of important firsts:
- Population-level risk and protective factors specific to suicidal behaviours, depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug use in Aboriginal youth.
- Early-stage screening of Aboriginal youth, allowing risk to be identified and addressed proactively rather than reactively.
- The validation of cultural resilience as a moderator of risk, including the specific components that protect Aboriginal young people.
- Unique Aboriginal youth intervention programs built directly on the risk and protective factors the WASC-Y identifies.
- Whole-of-Community Suicide and Mental Health Intervention Programs delivered across Australia, informed by WASC-Y data and outcomes.
Related publications:
- 📄 The Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist Youth Version: National Data from a Clinical Sample of Aboriginal Youth (PDF)
- 📄 Engaging Australian Aboriginal Youth in Mental Health Services (Westerman, 2010) (PDF) — the cultural engagement model validated with over 104 Aboriginal youth
- 📄 Culture-bound Syndromes in Aboriginal Australian Populations (PDF) — winner of the APS Altmetric Award for greatest reach of a published paper
Validation
Validation Study 1: Little, J. (2007). Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist, Youth (aged 13–17 years). The WASC-Y Manual (2nd edition). Cultural and clinical validation guidelines for the administration of the WASC-Y. IPS, Perth, WA.
Validation Study 2: Westerman, T. G. (2003). The development of an inventory to assess the moderating effects of cultural resilience with Aboriginal youth at risk of depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviours. PhD thesis, Curtin University.
What’s in the WASC-Y Manual
The WASC-Y Manual is a comprehensive clinical and research resource for anyone working in Aboriginal mental health. It covers:
- Development methodology of the WASC-Y, including the rationale for a uniquely Aboriginal screening instrument.
- Review of existing psychological tests and their limitations when used with Aboriginal people.
- Review of the Aboriginal mental health literature to identify prevalence and gaps in current understanding.
- Culturally derived models of mental health assessment, drawing on the wider evidence base.
- Dr Westerman’s research outcomes, including:
- Evidence supporting culture-bound syndromes (spiritual visits, sorry cutting, being sung or cursed, longing for country) and traditional treatment models.
- Cultural assessment models that guide practitioners through identifying cultural illness within a mental health diagnostic framework.
- Outcomes of large-scale screening of Aboriginal youth, including prevalence across disorders, notable correlations and co-morbidities, and normative data for determining level of risk.
- WASC-Y administration guidelines including scoring templates for each domain (depression, suicidal behaviours, alcohol and drug use, impulsivity, anxiety, cultural resilience).
- Cultural and Clinical Validation Guidelines for interviewing Aboriginal youth who have been screened with the WASC-Y. Includes a cultural engagement model validated with over 104 Aboriginal youth.
The Manual content is also covered in the accredited training that grants access to the WASC-Y.
Add the COMPREHENSIVE CLIENT INTERVIEW AND TREATMENT PLAN Digital Suite
The WASC-Y is now available alongside two digital add-on products that extend the screening tool into a complete clinical pathway:
Culturally Informed Treatment Plan
Generates a tailored treatment plan from each WASC-Y 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.
Culturally Informed Guided Interview
Provides item-level pop-up prompts triggered by the youth’s WASC-Y 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 young people. Both add-ons can be purchased as pay-per-use packs or as annual unlimited subscriptions.
FIRST: How to Access the NEW DIGITAL WASC-Y
Step 1 — Complete accreditation
The WASC-Y 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-Y accreditation is included in this training.
Step 2 — Purchase the Start-Up Pack
The WASC-Y Start-Up Pack is a one-off purchase that gives you the WASC-Y Manual and 30 digital WASC-Y tests.
Cost: $975 AUD (excluding GST).
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 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