University Presentation: Aboriginal Mental Health Promotion Campaign

This presentation addresses the critical issue of mental health within the Aboriginal population, highlighting the impact of colonization, social determinants, and cultural factors. It defines mental health, outlines the prevalence of psychological distress, and identifies contributing factors like trauma, racism, and socioeconomic disparities. The presentation proposes a health promotion campaign targeting adults aged 15-40, focusing on creating protective environments, identifying mental health issues through assessment, and preventing mental illness through health literacy and cultural awareness. Activities include early screening, educational sessions, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical therapy, and the recruitment of culturally competent professionals. The campaign aims to reduce mental illness, suicide rates, and improve the quality of life through stakeholder collaboration, ethical guidelines, and evaluation via surveys and interviews, with a detailed budget outlining resource allocation.

Running head: HEALTH PROMOTION
HEALTH PROMOTION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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Slide 1:
HEALTH PROMOTION FOR PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH OF ABORIGINAL
POPULATION
Before starting the presentation, I would like to thank my professors and university to provide
me this opportunity to talk about this topic.
Slide 2:
Mental health is determined by a complex interplay of psychological, physiological and
environmental factors. For the Aboriginal population, the principal reasons for poor social and
emotional wellbeing invented from the ongoing consequences of colonization. Across Australia,
the impact and effects of these factors resulted in. trauma, grief, and loss for successive
generations (Ogloff et al., 2017). Government policies of involuntary removal, as well as
assimilation along with experiences of racism, exclusion, poverty, and disconnection from
country, culture, and language, are documented as significant social determinants of the mental
health of Aboriginal people and communities (Sabbioni et al., 2018). These factors have not only
affected the daily lived experience of many Aboriginal people, families, and communities but
also disrupted the next generation. Hence, in order to improve mental health and wellbeing, a
health promotion campaign can be designed with the aim of raising awareness, literacy and
mental health facilities.
Slide 3:
What is mental health???

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Mental health is defined as a level of psychological well-being or an absence of mental
illness in individuals (Lima et al., 2019). In Australia, Mental health and wellbeing emerged as a
serious concern for Aboriginal Health Workers.Approximately 31.7% of Aboriginal individuals
subjected to psychological distress, revealing of a probable mental health condition, compared to
12.3 % of non-Indigenous Australians who are subjected to psychological distress (McGough,
Wynaden & Wright, 2018). Hu et al. (2019), reported that 26% of Aboriginal population
experienced depression which interfered with their lives, compared to 16% of non-indigenous
people. 1 in 5 adults is experiencing anxiety which further disrupts their wellbeing or leads to
suicide. Majority of the children aged 10 to 24 experience self-inflicted injuries, anxiety
disorders, alcohol disorders (Www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au, 2019).
.
Slide 4:
What influences poor mental health??
Certain contributing factors affect the mental and emotional wellbeing of individuals.
Social determinants of the health are major contributing factors behind high prevalence of mental
illness in Torres Strait Island compared to the population who live in major cities.
Internal factors such as physical health like chronic disease (diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
and hypertension and kidney disease) along with neurological disorders lead to mental illness.
Considering social determinants of health, discrimination and racism, unemployment, poor
education, high unemployment, poor housing, high smoking, and alcohol risk are crucial
factors behind the high prevalence of psychological distress (Www.telethonkids.org.au, 2019). In
this context, the protective factors include Strong family bonding, strong community bonding,

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strong cultural values, and beliefs (Fisher et al., 2016). The risk factors include loss, racism, ill
health, opportunity, self-esteem, poor relationship with family and community, stigmatization
and reclusion (Marmot, 2017).
Slide 5:
Other exceptional factors that influence mental health and wellbeing:
The mental health representation for Aboriginal people is diverse than for non-Aboriginal
people. It comprises of the same risk and shielding factors that affect non-Aboriginal people
along with other factors. These factors include:
Considering cultural factors, different cultural beliefs, and values, a different image of social
and emotional wellbeing and connection with spirituality impact mental health
(Www.telethonkids.org.au (2019).
Considering language, it is diverse from the language used by non-indigenous individuals which
further influence the wellbeing (Azzopardi et al, 2018).
Considering historical factors, historical factors such as invasion, racisms, repression, loss of
countries, language and culture and colonization strongly impacted the mental health
Slide 6:
What we can do?
Gaining a strong of understanding these risk and protective factors can assist Aboriginal
Health Workers in detecting probable mental health issues and provide intervention, support, and
facilities to cure mental illness and high rate of suicide (Durkalec et al., 2018).

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The support provided by health workers involve promoting mental health and
wellbeing, identifying factors contributing mental health illness, preventing mental health
problems, providing health literacy for raising awareness and reducing incidents, Support people
with mental ill-health with the assistance of cultural awareness (Gwynne & Lincoln, 2017).
The health promotion campaign is the only way of providing support to the aboriginal
population who are experiencing mental health illness.
Slide 7:
Aim and activity:
Aim of the health promotional campaign is to promote wellbeing by creating ‘protective’
environments, identify mental health through proper assessment, and prevent
mental health through proper literacy, reduced high incidents of mental health. These goals can be
obtained through creating ‘protective’ environments by celebrating culture, family-friend
activities, empowering the community, building knowledge and skills to improve self-esteem and
improving cultural awareness (Azzopardi et al, 2018)
.
Slide 8:
Target audience for the promotion:
The target audience of health promotion campaign is adults aged in between 15 to 40
years. The prime reason behind this target audience is the high prevalence of mental illness is

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observed in individuals of this group. This group includes adolescents and young adults. Dray et
al. (2016), highlighted that significant number (36%) of secondary school children in remote and
rural region of Western Australia is addicted to smoking which further disrupts their
mental health. The population of 16 to 25 years is highly addicted to smoking, alcohol and other
substances that subjected them in the psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, post-
traumatic disorder and schizophrenia along with the suicide ideation (Kilian & Williamson,
2018). Hence, this health promotion campaign would be appropriate for the target group.
Slide 9:
Activities for the promotion:
The activities of the health promotion include preventing mental illness, management of
the mental illness and reduction of high prevention and supporting the community by
incorporating cultural awareness.
The activity required for the preventing includes creating ‘protective’ environments by
celebrating culture, empowering communities and families, providing health literacy from the
cultural aspect, building skills for prevention, and encouraging act, belong and commit
(Degenhardt et al., 2016). Considering interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical
therapy, counseling, exercise, and diet would be provided. Considering supporting activities;
advising, providing opportunities, recruiting culturally competent professionals

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Slide 10:
Preventing mental illness:
Health professionals in collaboration with the family and community would be
required to design an early screening session for identifying the mental illness and contributing
factors. This session can be conducted in the community health care center and medical officers
and mental health nurses are required to involve in screening. It will empower people and reduce
illness.
For providing health literacy, the professionals would conduct face to face education
session for 1 hour for 2 days a week where with the assistance of PowerPoint and visual
presentation, adequate information of mental illness, type of illness and consequences would be
provided to the target group. The possible health care facilities and advantages of facilities would
be provided. It will increase awareness of mental illness and people will be able to seek help
(Hinton et al., 2015)
Slide 11:
Interventions for mental illness:
In order to manage illness and reduce high prevalence, cognitive behavioral therapy
along with would be provided to the patients who are experiencing depression and anxiety. For
the patients, especially adolescents, dialectical therapy along with spiritual therapy would be
provided to reduce suicidal tendency and suicidal ideation. Cognitive therapy alters negative
thoughts of the patients in order to improve thoughts, beliefs, and values and reduce incidence

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(Kilcullen, Swinbourne & Cadet‐James, 2016). Dialectical therapy along with spiritual therapy
improve and control intense emotions, improve relationships, manage distress and reduce self-
destructive behavior (Linehan et al., 2018). All these therapies are providing through
incorporating cultural values and beliefs. The health professionals, counsellors and nurses would
involve in this part.
Apart from these therapies, the target audience can be involved in physical activity as
physical activity improve the secretion of endorphin which elevates mood (Firth et al., 2016).
The incorporation of fruits and vegetables in the diet would be done for improving mood.
Slide 12:
In order to support mental health and wellbeing, cultural guidelines and cultural safety are
required to promote. The culturally competent health professional can be recruited through
proper education and safety. Aboriginal Liaison Officers can be recruited to provide accurate
culturally safe service. These officers help patients and family members to understand the
medical process and ensure that patients that they receive culturally safe services. Several peer
workers are required to recruit who will take recovery-oriented approach (McKenna et al.,
2015). People would be required to the provider with opportunities for employment, education,
and access to the health care facilities as unemployment and lack of education is one of the
contributing factors behind mental health (Marmot, 2017).
Slide 13:
In order to develop health promotional campaign, the external stakeholders such as state
and territory and local governing bodies along with policymakers would involve in this
promotional campaign. The internal stakeholders, in this case, health professionals such as
medical officers, peer workers, Aboriginal Liaison Officers would involve in this promotion.

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Slide 14:
Outcome and evaluation
The primary expected outcome of the campaign is the primary expected outcome of the
campaign is reduced rate of mental illness amongst the target audience, reduced rate of suicide
incidents, smoking, and mortality. The secondary outcome of the study includes improving
quality of life, reduced smoking rate, improved employment, and education rate.The secondary
outcome of the study includes improving quality of life, reduced smoking rate, improved
employment, and education rate.
The success of the campaign can be evaluated through certain parameters discussed above
where the evaluation tool includes survey, interview, and feedback. Survey is cost-effective,
cheap and has numerical values along with represents a significant number of population.
Interview provides the opportunity to gather values, beliefs of the patient and provide the idea of
mental illness and reduction (Reddy et al., 2017).
Slide 15:
Ethical consideration:
Strict ethical guidelines will be followed during the entire health promotion. The
autonomy of the patients would be maintained. No participants will be forced to participate in the
promotion, a consent form will be signed by each and every participant in order to make sure
that they participated willingly.

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Slide 16:
The budget of this promotion would be following:
Factors Description Amount
Space Rent $100 ( community hall
Professionals Salary $500
Education resources books, projectors , photocopy $200
Interventions $ 500
Equipment’s and stationeries Instruments for measurement, tracking
system, pens, papers,
$100
Others $100

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Patton, G. C. (2018). Health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents in Australia: a
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Degenhardt, L., Stockings, E., Patton, G., Hall, W. D., & Lynskey, M. (2016). The increasing
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