#IHMayDay: tweeting for empowerment and social and emotional wellbeing. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sweet, Melissa; Geia, Lynore; Dudgeon, Pat; McCallum, Kerry
• Is Part Of: Australasian psychiatry. Volume 23:Number 6(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 636
• Page End: 640
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Indigenous health -- social and emotional wellbeing -- Twitter -- decolonising -- innovation; Psychiatry -- Australasia -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1177/1039856215609762
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1039-8562

Abstract

Objective: This paper examines the themes of #IHMayDay, a day-long Twitter discussion about Indigenous health led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on 1 May 2014. Method: The Symplur analytics tool was used to identify the Twitter activity associated with #IHMayDay. This paper reviews the content of 423 tweets that were tweeted and retweeted by 346 individuals and 108 organisations. Results: Issues related to social and emotional wellbeing were dominant, and the analysis highlights the empowering nature of the strengths-based discourse. Conclusions: Twitter-based events such as #IHMayDay and initiatives such as the rotated, curated account@IndigenousX are powerful platforms for learning, exchange, advocacy and dialogue about the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.