Intercultural Understanding and Enabling Young People's Well‐Being: An Exploration

Globalisation has made Australia one of the most multicultural and diverse countries in the world. Yet, almost 50% of 18–24 year‐old and 31% of 12–17 year‐old Australian youth who speak a language other than English have experienced discrimination. Schools are key settings where youth experience racial discrimination, which increases risk to mental well‐being. Although many school‐based mental health programs acknowledge racism's impact, they often focus on the individual to understand and manage their emotions. This individual focus overlooks broader socio‐cultural, structural and power‐related social determinants of mental well‐being: research finds that environments which support intercultural connectedness and ethno‐cultural community links promote youth mental well‐being. Research and practice often focus on youth from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds building intercultural connections, rather than promoting a two‐way exchange where all youth are equal partners in this process. Informed by the narratives of culturally diverse young people, this paper reports their perspectives on mental well‐being, after participating in a school‐based program aimed at fostering intercultural understanding and reducing racism.