Brief yarns on alcohol

Abstract

Video 1_Wayne's leg (alcohol yarn) Video 2_Mara's baby (alcohol yarn) Video 3_Jason's worry (alcohol yarn) Video 4_making a difference in 5 minutes (alcohol yarn) These four 5-minute films show how you can have a brief yarn about alcohol with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person – or any person. The three acted scenarios show how you can engage a person, without shaming them. The actors are themselves health professionals; three of the four are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander themselves. The fourth film explains how you ‘plant a seed’ to get a person thinking about their drinking. The brief yarn (or brief intervention) is based on a World Health Organization model; the films arose from an National Health and Medical Research Council funded project.

Film 1: “Wayne’s leg” This short film shows how you can have a brief yarn about alcohol with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person – or anyone. It shows a way to get a person started on thinking about change to their drinking. The actors are both health professionals; and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Film 2: “Mara’s baby” It can be sensitive talking about alcohol use in pregnancy. This scenario shows one way a male health worker could have that conversation. Both actors are themselves health professionals; and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Film 3: “Jason’s worry” In this scenario a doctor has a brief yarn with a man who is ‘hooked’ (dependent) on alcohol.

Film 4: “Making a difference in 5 minutes” Here Rob Assan explains how he plants the seed to get someone thinking about their drinking.