Alcohol Abuse and PTSD among Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia: A Literature Review

Research Proposal
Alcohol abuse and post-
traumatic stress disorder
PTSD among Aboriginals
and Torres Strait Islanders
in Australia: a review of
literature

Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................4
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................4
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................5
METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................6
Implications for public health.......................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................9

ABSTRACT
Exposure to traumatic experiences, especially those occurring in childhood, has
been linked to substance use disorders (SUDs), including abuse and dependence.
SUDs are also highly comorbid with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other
mood-related psychopathology. The present study has the aim of providing the details
of relationship between alcohol abuse and development of PTSD in aboriginal and
Torres Island people living in Australia. These people are suffering from following
disorders because of the social challenges faced, living in deprived and poor area and
also because of existence of social inequities which are giving rise to this problem
among indigenous people of Australia. The objective of the present study is to analyse
the association between alcohol abuse and development of PTSD symbols and to
assess the possible factors which are been linked with PTSD in indigenous Australians
with alcohol abuse. The study was being done with the help of computerised and
manual searching. The review of the research on the pathophysiology of PTSD has
been done in the present report. The present study has also reviewed studies which are
linked to epidemiology, clinical phenomenology, and pathophysiology of PTSD and
alcohol abuse disorders.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol abuse and illness related to mental health have an accurate association as
most of the Indigenous people who are been addicted to alcohol are most likely to face
and suffer the mental health problems. It has also been analysed that Torres island
people who have faced traumatic experiences are at the high risk of developing the
psychiatric disorder. Most of them are suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder.
This mental health illness can be faced by those of who have gone through traumatic
experiences such as alcohol abuse, substance use. There are various signs and
symptoms that has been linked to it like anxiety, depression, night mares. This has
reduced the health outcome of indigenous people living in Australia. Schweizer et.al.,
(2017) has stated that most of the Torres and Strait Island people who have faced the
traumatic experiences found it really difficult to adjust and cope with the good self-care.
This mental health disorder is also affecting and reducing down their quality of life. If the
symptoms last long, then it can become very difficult for an individual to survive. Some