Reflection on the First People’s Mental Health Risk Factors

Running Head: REFLECTION ON THE FIRST PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH
Reflection on the First People’s Mental Health Risk Factors
Student’s Name
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REFLECTION ON THE FIRST PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH 2
Part 1: Concept Map
Introduction
Aborigines are the indigenous people of Australia. Their presence dates back to around
40,000 years, long before the Europeans arrived and settled on the island continent at the end of
the 18th century. From there, nothing will ever be like before for the country and its inhabitants,
humans as animals. Europeans gradually bring in species from the old continent, convicts, and
gradually decimate the Aboriginal population. Illness, extermination, nothing will save them
until the twentieth century. Today, the aboriginal issue is not settled and is a major problem that
divides the country in two. As depicted in the concept map below, there are five major concepts
that can be used to explain why there is high health inequalities among First People. These
concepts include the stolen generation, education, dispossession, racism and loss of connection
to country. Each of these concepts contributes in one way or another to the high health
inequalities among the First people in Australia.

REFLECTION ON THE FIRST PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH 3
Stolen generation
Education
Dispossession
Racism
Loss of connection to country
Health inequalities
among First Pople

REFLECTION ON THE FIRST PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH 4
Part 2
This part will demonstrate how the concepts identified in the concept map play a role in
increasing the incidence and prevalence of mental health problems among Aboriginal people in
Australia.
Stolen generation
Stolen generation is one of the factors responsible for high health inequalities among the
First People. Legal, archival and protocol documents show that the separation of children from
the family and their placement in boarding schools led to the destruction of family and social
ties. Many pupils did not know parental care, did not adopt the traditional family experience, did
not acquire life and parental skills, they did not have self-esteem and respect for elders. Their
parents, in turn, did not have the opportunity to take care of their children, educate and instruct
them, teach them to make the right decisions (De Leo, Milner & Sveticic, 2012). Over time, the
boarding system weakened the emotional connection between parents and children. Being in
isolation from their native culture and spiritual values, the children lost their family ties. This
loss has disrupted the transfer of traditional experience and knowledge to succeeding
generations. Stolen generation significantly hinder the ability of the First People to assimilate
and learn more about the health care services. It causes a cultural trauma. It affected the way the
First People perceive the external world. Children living apart from their families were deprived
of parental care and attention taken in their native traditional culture. As a result, they did not
develop the skills of education and care for their own children. To date, there are four
generations (Soole, Kolves & De Leo, 2014). Indigenous peoples with destructive experiences
in boarding schools, which they passed on to their own children and grandchildren, as well as to
other persons who are not their descendants, through the indirect impact of trauma on the entire