Australian Psychological Society: Aboriginal Psychology Report

This report delves into the field of psychology, specifically focusing on the Australian Psychological Society's perspective on Aboriginal Australians. It begins by introducing the role of a psychologist in evaluating mental health and highlights the key issues faced by Aboriginal Australians, including poverty, inequality, racism, and the impact of family violence. The report examines the effects of racism on mental and physical health, as well as the underachievement of indigenous students in education. A reflection section provides a personal account of the learning experience, detailing insights gained from the course, and emphasizing the importance of understanding Aboriginal culture and history. The report concludes with a summary of the key learnings and their relevance to the profession, emphasizing the need for psychologists to address the mental health needs of Aboriginal communities, supported by references to relevant research.

Australian Psychological
Society

INTRODUCTION
 Psychologist is the trained person who evaluates the mental health of the
patients where they have to study and learn this form of degree to handle the
mental challenges of the people.
 The presentation will illustrate the concept of psychological areas and the
profession where it includes a training workshop session.
 The report will identify and demonstrate the key issues about the aboriginal
Australian and discipline of the psychology.
 Also, it will perform the reflection part where it will critically analyse the
knowledge and experienced in sessions.

Identification and explanation over key issues
 From the topics and content that I have read among the 9
weeks of course which is related to Aboriginal Australians
and the discipline of psychology, I have generated a great
level of understanding about the specific topic.
 This includes the basic concepts of indigenous approach
which is defined as the scientific study about human behavior
and mind which is native and not transported to another
region along with designed especially for the Australian
aboriginals.
 Indigenous philosophy is generally enables the creation of
new and advanced dynamic paradigm among which the
psychological distress has been addressed. From the whole
course of 9 weeks, I have understood the key issues that has
been faced by the aboriginals.

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 The aboriginals have to face issues in context of poverty and inequality and keeps
on experience that has been linked to systematic discrimination.
 Moreover, I have understood about the racism which is an agent who are
responsible to provide high level of effects over the mental as well as physical
health status. Indigenous women act as victims of crime or complex structure of
mechanics over their lives which includes poverty, violence, cultural and spiritual
disruption, etc. In addition to this, the family violence also affects the indigenous
women.
 During week 6, the topic that had been taught to us are related to racism through
which I have understood that it is important and cannot be ascribed to any specific
attributes which includes socio-economic status as well as lifestyle risk issues.

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 They are ones who are facing mental illness issues, high level of distress,
hospitalized for self harm and sometimes for committing suicide. In
terms of Contextualizing Knowledge and Aboriginal Perspectives, it has
been understood that indigenous students are still underachieving in
math's and science subjects at the time of comparing it with other non
indigenous Australians.
 The students are facing lack of enthusiasm for the experience of
schooling into their conventional form. This specific issue takes a
contextualized as well as international view point of teaching towards
indigenous students in their subject classrooms.
 Furthermore, I have also collected the information regarding the fact
that indigenous resilience in Australia states to individuals positive
adaptation towards the experience of hardship

REFLECTION
 Psychology profession is very crucial and considered
as a major sensitive responsibility where they have to
identify and handle the mental illness of the patient.
 Psychologist plays an important role in the
healthcare industry where they have to experience the
mental health issues, patient treatment and
management of their symptom in definite order.
 However, being a member of Australian
Psychological Society I am having a responsibility
and duty to tackle the situation and treat the mental ill
people in effective way where my team members has
asked me to develop the understanding and
knowledge to the people who are learning and aiming
to grab this profession.

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 In first week of the session, I learned about the aboriginal Australian and their
culture from where I can be able to understand the brief education in regard to
its meaning.
 In second week, I learned about the story of the psychology in Australian
country where the study of mental phenomenon is a discipline in universities
and becomes important to understand it in better manner.
 However, in week 3 I was able to grab the knowledge of timeline of
colonization where I was able to learn about the aboriginal history its culture
and colonization.

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 Also, I read and learned about the ongoing stolen generation and colonization
it helps me to understand the mental or psychology of the Australian. Moving
ahead, in the week 5 I learned about the health and social determinant of
health or the well-being of the aboriginal and Torres Strait community which
is important to understand providing the better treatment to the mental ill
people.
 I grab the knowledge where I study the social determinant which impacts the
individual and population health of aboriginals. By learning this subject it will
allow me to keep my focus on the health and well-being of the aboriginal
Australian and from which I can be able to do the treatment and can do my
responsibility in definite manner.

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 Moreover, in week 6 I studied about the social determinant of health where it
includes the sub topics like racism, power and whiteness.
 In this session, I examined that racism, whiteness and power are three major
subjects which needs to understand in definite manner in the psychological studies
and profession where they have a right to get the equal respect and secure
employment and a regular income where nobody is allowed to do any
discrimination.
 Moving ahead to week 7, I learned about the different ways of being or a
perspective of mental health of the aboriginal Australian where I examined and
grab the knowledge of this subject. I understood that mental health of the
aboriginal with physical, culture and spiritual is also a major part to be understood.

CONCLUSION
 The report has concluded the importance of the psychology study and its
meaning in regard to aboriginal Australian community in definite manner from
where an individual person can be able to understand this in better manner.
 The report has included the two areas where one part is explaining the key
issues of the course in the context of the aboriginal community respectively.
 Also, the report has performed the reflection part where it explained or
demonstrated the different subjects in psychological study or course where it
will allow the person or an individual to understand this is perfect order.
 The report is conducted to explain the education and knowledge from where
the new learners aiming to become psychologist can understand and develop
their education effectively.

REFERENCES
 Schmidt, H., 2019. Indigenizing and decolonizing the teaching of psychology:
Reflections on the role of the non‐indigenous ally. American journal of
community psychology. 64(1-2), pp.59-71.
 Chan, G., Leung, J., Gartner, C., Yong and et.al., 2019. Correlates of electronic
cigarette use in the general population and among smokers in Australia–
Findings from a nationally representative survey. Addictive behaviors, 95,
pp.6-10.
 Berger, M., Taylor, S., Harriss, L., and et.al., 2019. Hair cortisol, allostatic
load, and depressive symptoms in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people. Stress. 22(3), pp.312-320.