Analysis of Media Items and Their Impacts on Australian Indigenous People's Mental Health Issues

Running head: HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT 2
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INDIGENOUS HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
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HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT 2 2
AN ANALYSIS OF MEDIA ITEMS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON AUSTRALIAN
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Introduction
The population of Indigenous people in Australia is approximately 3%. They are said to
be culturally and more linguistically advanced (Henderson, Kendall, & See, 2011). It is evident
that even though they make a small population of Australia they are very much disadvantaged
than the non-Indigenous Australians. Much effort has been put to close the health gap which
leads to life expectancy gap but the problem is yet to eradicate. Indigenous group and the other
Australians’ life-expectancy still stands estimated at; for the females, a 9.7 years gap and for
males, an 11.5 years gap respectively according to Australian Bureau of statistics (Rosenstock et
al, 2013).
Media news items and their effects on the Indigenous health and wellbeing problems
The way the media portrays the Indigenous people’s wellbeing and health problems have
diverse effects either negatively, positively and neutrally. Negative effects are estimated at 74%
while positive and neutral effects are set at 15% and 11% respectively (Stoneham, Goodman, &
Daube, 2014). The causes of negative effects are mainly; crime, suicide, alcoholism, the number
of deaths in jails, child abuse among others hence it attains the highest percentage. Research
shows that other negative effects are brought about by how the media portrays the stereotypes
against the Indigenous people in Australia and this brings about racism which contributes highly
to health inequalities (Peri, 2012). The positive effects are mainly; success, wellbeing and social
security among others. Neutrality focus is mainly on; the balance between the good and the bad
impacts and not taking any sides.
Analysis based on three media items conducted shows the print media in charge of West
Australian“https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-portrayal-of-mental-health-in-
Australian-daily-Kenez-O%27halloran/8f21e819637f23523baffd0c6c92c2cafbc61368”, The
Sunday Times“https://theconversation.com/bad-news-negative-indigenous-health-coverage-
reinforces-stigma-24851” and The Australian from the ABC Online news and other online news
“https://theconversation.com/africa/topics/mental-health-343”(Kenez, O'halloran, &Liamputtong,
2015). The objective of studying these three news items is to provide more information on how
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HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT 2 3
they affect the mental wellbeing of the Indigenous people in Australia (Gurung, 2013). The
media assumes a vital job in encircling the manner in which people consider or think about
issues they portray. At the point when Indigenous individuals are tenaciously depicted as
alcoholics, and vicious culprits, it can fuel supremacist dispositions among the more extensive
populace and this kind of prejudice majorly affects the soundness of the health of Indigenous
Australians (Miller, 2012).
Now and again, these generalizations can be disguised, making a feeling of disgrace and
displaying hindrances to taking an interest in standard society. This propagates the cycle of a
disservice. However, it would not be proper to accuse the media in segregation for negative
depictions of the Indigenous wellbeing. Attracting attention regarding issues experienced in
Indigenous people group is a real and well-attempted methodology for the individuals who try to
produce activity. Media inclusion of weakness and negative results is frequently exhibited by
writers as a reaction to remarks by backers for activity, and as a method for communicating and
creating concern and shock, and looking for a change.
There is additionally an authentic job for media in announcing proof based data
identifying with weakness. Despite the fact that these issues are critical to feature, especially
from a support point of view, they recount to just a large portion of the story and once in a while
give positive angles and hopes for the people living with mental issues (Tsey et al, 2010). Not
giving a full story about the positivities or negativities of the Indigenous people leaves them a
contradictory situation.
Psychological issues and wellbeing were also undertaken as the comparison content. The
three items had 2.7% of articles on awareness and mental health issues understanding among the
Indigenous people. Additionally, 16.4% of articles were on the basis of policy and funding of
healthcare facilities to improve the mental problems amongst them. This shows that there was
the positive side of the media items and the negative side. The media items about the illness
among the Indigenous group, articles were portrayed on different percentages; “mood disorder
16.9%, anxiety disorder 9.8%, psychotic disorder 11.1%, stress-related illness 1.3%, unspecified
illness at 7.6%”. The causes and treatment of these mental problems were discussed at about
3.6% and 2.7% respectively. An overall on the health well being of this group was estimated at
maintenance and illness prevention articles were about 11.1% and the wellbeing and positive
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