Mental Health Disability in Indigenous People Essay 2022

Running Head: Mental Health Disability in Indigenous People
Mental Disability in Indigenous
People in Australia
Essay
System04104
9/22/2019

Mental Health Disability in Indigenous People
1
Introduction
The Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) people are the various indigenous people
lives in Australian mainland, Tasmania, and often the Tiwi Islands. The indigenous people
spread all over the country and they have very old culture and civilisation. However, the
numbers of indigenous people are increasing in Australian every day but their living style and
poor income also causes some serious health issues for them in the country. It can be said that
the issues related to indigenous health is a big issue for Australia because it is matter of
national shame for the country where large number of people in indigenous area are
struggling for food and employment and that causes several mental and physical health issues
in the people. There are large numbers of indigenous people in Australian are suffering from
mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety and several other psychological health
problems. The purpose of this report is to highlight those ecological factors (micro, meso, and
macro) which are responsible for their mental issues. This report also discussed the identified
health inequalities on each ecological level. However, overall the report includes all those
factors, which are responsible for the mental health issues in indigenous people in Australia
and recommend how these problems can be removed from the initiative of government and
society so they can live a healthy and happy life in the country.
Mental health Issues in Indigenous People
Indigenous people are 3.3% of total Australian population [2]. The population of Australian
indigenous people in 2011 was 3% and it has been raised from last few years. The estimated
population of indigenous people in Australia was about 798,400 in 2016, which was 3.3% of
total Australian population [2]. However, Australian indigenous population was 669,900 in
2011 and it was increased by 19% by 2018. These people spread all over the country. In
Australian Capital Territory, the number of indigenous population is 1.9% while in South
Australia indigenous population is 2.5% [3]. In other parts of Australia, the number of
Indigenous people is very low, but in the Northern Territory, 30.3% indigenous people are
living. The current situation of Australian Indigenous people in the country is not good [5].
There are large number of people are suffering from mental health disability in the country.
For example, more than 30% of indigenous people are suffering from the psychological
distress in the country while the same is only 20% in common Australian population. The
percentage number of people who are suffering from dementia above the age of years is

Mental Health Disability in Indigenous People
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12.4% in indigenous people while the same is only 2.6% in non-indigenous people in the
country [1]. These fact of show the current poor mental health situation in indigenous people
in indigenous people and a dramatic increase in the numbers of indigenous people who are
suffering from mental health disabilities in the country. Mental health issues in Indigenous
population is seriously a major concern for the Australian government because the large
numbers of people are reported to suicide, anxiety, and depression in the Australian
indigenous areas, especially in northern territory of Australian where large numbers of
indigenous people are living in the country [4].
The indigenous population is tie up with 50,000 old civilisation and culture. The colonization
of Australia was done in 1788 [5]. Colonisation of Australia led to significant adversities for
the ATSI population with loss of traditional way of life, land, and resources. However, these
changes in Australian societies affect the life style of indigenous people and bring poverty,
unemployment, and racism type of social issues that affect the health mental health of
indigenous people in the country [6]. The increasing number of population in indigenous
people is also a major cause of their unemployment in the country that further leads to mental
health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress. The population of indigenous people was
increased by 19% from 2011 to 2018 and it was really a serious concern for the Australia
government from the mental health perspective of these people [5]. The major issues for the
indigenous people about their mental disabilities are unavailability of proper health care
facilities in indigenous areas. Apart from this, the living style and way of communication of
indigenous are is different from Australian common people. In such a scenario the chances of
miscommunication and ineffective patient and doctor communication is the major cause of
the increasing mental health disabilities in the community. English is not the first language of
indigenous people in Australian rural areas and it might be the fifth or sixth language.
Therefore, the miscommunication between doctor and indigenous people possible and it leads
to several other health issues among them like allergy of medicines, inappropriate doses of
medicines, or poor health concerns [7]. Mental disabilities is the indigenous people is really a
serious concern for the Australian government because its shows a national shame for the
country where large number of people are avoided by the national health programs of the
country and facing extreme issues of unemployment, poverty, and healthy life style.
However, the unavailability of medical health experts and psychiatrist or mental health
specialist in the indigenous areas is a serious problem that raises the issues of mental health
disabilities in the indigenous population in the country [20].

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It has been found that factors cause racism, discrimination, and inequality are the major cause
of mental disability in the indigenous people and it leads to suicide tendency and self-harm
problems in the indigenous people. However, the indigenous people strongly fighting against
these social issues in the country to protect and preserve their culture, ethnicity, and artistic
tradition in the country. However, poor conditions of indigenous people in rural areas leads to
10 times more like to develop mental health issues like dementia than those people who lives
in India, Indonesia, or Africa [12]. However, the mental disability conditions in indigenous
area also show the failure of government and its health programs and mission in rural areas to
protect the indigenous and aboriginal people from the mental health issues [8].
Key Factors at Micro, Meso, and Macro Levels
Mental health issue (13%) is a big burden of disease in Australia after the cancer (16%),
cardiovascular disease (14%), and musculoskeletal disorder (15%) [4]. Mental health issue in
indigenous people is a serious issue for the country where large number of people facing
extreme mental pressure because of social, economic, and governmental pressure [18]. The
country spend almost AUD$85 million for indigenous areas for Aboriginal and Torres
Islander people’s mental health services in 2016 to 2019 period. However, the government
tried every time to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people in
employment sector, education sector, and health sector. The main objective behind spending
this huge amount on the mental health of indigenous people is to provide them
comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary healthcare facilities across the country in
all indigenous areas. However, the primary health care services operate its operations at
number of levels in the context of Australia’s system of government and broader health
system [9]. These levels are generally divided in three categories, which are as follow: