Depression Among Indigenous People

Running head: DEPRESSION AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
DEPRESSION AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
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1DEPRESSION AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Rationale..........................................................................................................................................2
Critical assessment of intervention..................................................................................................5
Recommendation.............................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
Reference.........................................................................................................................................9

2DEPRESSION AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Introduction
Mental health can be defined as a psychological well- being of an individual to perform
his/ her daily activities in a competent manner in regard to his/ her employment, social and
cultural life. According to the World Health Organisation or WHO, around 450 million people
are currently affected by the mental health disorders (WHO, 2019). Australia is no exception to
this particular scenario and around 3 million peoples are currently suffering from mental health
right now (Beyondblue.org.au, 2019). In Australia, most common types of the mental illness are
substance use disorder, depression, and anxiety. Almost 20 per cent Australians which is one
people out of five individual suffers from mental illness or disorders in a single year
(Beyondblue.org.au, 2019). This incidence and prevalence of mental illness is particularly
highlighted among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people specifically among the youth
of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Parker & Milroy, 2014).
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide and analyse intervention plan for the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth for their mental health problem. With regard to this
‘Theory of Change’ will be discussed along with the intervention method in the following
sections.
Rationale
From the recent published studies, it has been established that the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people are more likely to suffer from the mental health issues (Parker & Milroy,
2014). It has been reported that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are twice more
likely to be affected by the mental health issues in comparison with the non- aboriginal
Australians (Statistics ABS, 2012). However, one important aspect was neglected among in the

3DEPRESSION AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
most of studies is the how the mental illness affect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
youth. Most of the studies are far too much focussed on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people in a whole. But if a deeper and through analysis have been conducted, it can be seen that
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are far more likely to be affected by the mental
illness in comparison with the other age group of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people. Studies have reported that the suicide rate among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander youth due to the mental health illness are four times higher in comparison with non-
aboriginal youth (Tighe et al., 2017). It has also been reported that the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander youth aged between 12 to 24 years old are three times more likely to be diagnosed
and hospitalised due to mental health illness in comparison with the non- aboriginal Australian
youth (anzmh.asn.au, 2019). In addition to that studies have also reported that the there is a 10
year gap in the life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-
aboriginal Australians and it can be attributed to the mental disorder among these peoples.
Hence, it can be said that the mental health disorder is particularly prevalent among the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and the death rate and hospitalisation is also higher
among them (Blackdoginstitute.org.au, 2019). Thus, it has put a lot burden in the Australian
health care system as well as the community of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for the detailed evaluation of the issue as well as to provide
intervention plan to reduce the mental health illness among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander youth (Tighe et al., 2017).
It has been stated in the above sections that the three most prevalent substance use
disorder, depression, and anxiety. This also true for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
youth and as a direct consequence suicide rate is particularly higher among them with regard to