Wednesday, March 18, 2026

2:10 PM - 2:50 PM

Adelaide Oval - Suite One

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Overview

Presented by: Yvonne Clark - Principle Research Fellow, Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance (ACRA) and Tegan Walker - Coolamon Navigator, Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance (ACRA).

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Details

Purpose: Stress and alcohol or cannabis use during pregnancy commonly co-occur and may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to empower pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their key support people to reduce harms associated with stress, psychological distress, cannabis and alcohol use by offering a co-designed care package within routine antenatal care. Approach: From 2022 to 2024 we co-designed and implemented an enhanced antenatal care package across two Adelaide metropolitan Aboriginal birthing programs. This included access to the ‘Grog App’ a culturally informed digital tool to promote awareness of alcohol and cannabis use, an Aboriginal advocacy worker (skilled in substance and drug use), family legal representative, and a counsellor/therapist. Participants were enrolled antenatally, and completed questionnaires at enrolment and on program completion, including the Kessler 6 measure of psychological distress. Results and outcomes: A total of 58 people enrolled (52 Aboriginal pregnant women, 6 key support people). Participants most frequently accessed the counsellor (82%), the family legal representative (28%), and Aboriginal advocacy worker (15%). 55 (95%) people completed the Grog App and rated it as culturally appropriate (95%), easy to use (97%), and would recommend to friends (93%). During the program pregnant women’s psychological distress reduced significantly (mean difference -2.69, 95% CI -4.39, -0.99, p=0.003). Qualitative findings indicate that staff and participants endorsed the care package components, found it to be empowering and culturally safe. Conclusions: Participants accessing the care package found it highly acceptable, culturally safe, and supported reductions in pregnant women’s psychological distress during participation.