An Analysis of Media Items and Indigenous Health in Australia

Verified

Added on  2022/11/14

|14
|2527
|182
Essay
AI Summary
This essay examines the health disparities experienced by Indigenous populations in Australia, focusing on the impact of media portrayals on their wellbeing. The essay analyzes three media items: a research journal article on mental health disorders, a governmental website's health promotion plan, and a systematic review of psychiatric disorders. The first article highlights the prevalence of mental health issues and their socioeconomic underpinnings, while the second discusses government interventions and strategies for improving Indigenous mental health. The third article provides a review of prevalence rates for various psychiatric disorders within Indigenous communities. The essay explores the different perspectives presented in these media items, assessing their impact on perceptions of Indigenous health and wellbeing, and considering the factors contributing to health inequities. The analysis incorporates principles from Stoneham, Goodman, and Daube (2014) to evaluate the media's portrayal of Indigenous health issues and its potential effects on the community. The essay concludes by emphasizing the multifaceted nature of health disparities and the importance of addressing these issues through a comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural, and economic determinants of health.
Document Page
Running head: HEALTHCARE
Topic: HEALTHCARE

Name of the Student:

Name of the University:

Author Note:
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
1HEALTHCARE
Document Page
2HEALTHCARE
Introduction

Over the years there has been a distinct difference in health among the populations of the Aboriginal and Non indigenous populations in

Australia. Indigenous health has been considered as the physical, social and cultural wellbeing of the Torres Strait slander and the Aboriginal people

(Anderson et al., 2016). Indigenous Australians have been found to suffer from various diseases like cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney

diseases, and diabetes and most importantly mental health problems according to the statistical analysis of the aboriginal population especially

among the rural populations of Australia (Paradises, 2016). Another factor which has been associated with the increased health disparities among

the indigenous and the non-indigenous populations among Australia are the increased tobacco, alcohol and illicit substance use (Green & Minchin,

2016). Thus in the following essay the various instances of the health disparities related to the mental health problem in the indigenous populations

will be compared through various media information.

Discussion

Assessment of article 1:

The first media item is a research journal article based on the face to face diagnostic interviews based on the prevalence of the common

mental disorders usually seen among adult indigenous Australians. The key measure along with the health issue focused here is CMD or comorbid

mental disorders among the indigenous populations of Australia (Nasir et al., 2018). Moreover the article has also focused on the cultural

acceptability of the interview and the rates of the co morbid mental disorders. The author has conducted a cohort study along with a cross sectional

design. Structural clinical interviews has been done for the diagnostic as well as statistical manual for the mental disorders. Among a population of
Document Page
3HEALTHCARE
indigenous Australian adults. From the studies and the analysis of the statistical interviews conducted among the indigenous Australian population,

it has been found that there has a prevalence of the mental disorders among the indigenous populations which has been found to be higher than

previous estimates. Moreover the lower rates of the non-current disorders have been consistent with the underdiagnoses of the previous events.

Thus the author has been successful in diagnosing the common mental disorders prevailing among the indigenous Australian community cohort

study.

The factors and the cause of increasing prevalence of mental health disorders among the people of Australia have been highlighted in this

article. Similar studies have been done on this issue. According to the research findings of Dudgeon and Walker (2014), The holistic definition of

the concept of well-being on the social and emotional well-being as a multidimensional and complex concept which has been linked to family and

community. Day et al (2015) has further supported the main research thesis of the main author stating that there is an important role of the awareness

among the students especially in tertiary education for the mental disorders existing among the communities.

Regarding the assessment of the article according to the principles laid by Stoneham, Goodman and Daube (2014) it can be understood that

the author focuses on the prevalence of the mental diseases which ultimately focuses on the poor and low socio economic status of the indigenous

people. Among the various mental disorders the author has linked the prevalence of substance use disorders along with the various mood disorders

and anxiety disorders and has also linked substance use which clearly highlights the inequities and the poor social determinants of health prevailing

in the indigenous communities (Henderson et al., 2016). Moreover the disparities and the health inequities highlighted in the article surely gives the

stress on the declining health conditions and the low economic and cultural stability behind it. Thus this article has been written with a negative
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
4HEALTHCARE
focus highlighting the poor socioeconomic conditions and the health inequities existing among the people. This could have a negative impact on the

readers indicating the risk of increased mental disorders among indigenous populations in Australia.

Assessment of article 2:

In this second media item there is a discussion and analysis of the various strategies taken for addressing the mental disorders and mental

health among the aboriginal people of Australia. This article from the governmental website is about aboriginal health (
Sahealth.sa.gov.au, 2019).
This is a health promotion plan regarding the upliftment of the mental health needs of the indigenous communities as compared to the non-

indigenous communities. The main key measure is the escalation of mental health disorders among the aboriginal communities in Australia.

Moreover the various interventions and programs implemented in the articles are the initiative taken by the government of Australia as a part of the

health promotion strategy for enhancing the metal disorders and overall mental health and wellbeing of the people.

There has been the implementation of Aboriginal mental health clinical practice guidelines and pathways which is culturally proper guide

for the health consumers. The article proposes a mental health team incorporation for the identification supported by the service. Moreover there

should be the incorporation of cultural respectful communication for the determination of the consumers’ history. The various health beliefs

focuses on the well ness along with injury and illness (Clifford et al., 2016). Moreover it is related to the assessment of the consultation with the

families, consumers along with family carers among the aboriginal as well as non-aboriginal service providers for the need of the further

development of partnerships along with pathways for ensuring clear communication for meeting the mental health needs of the people in aboriginal

communities.
Document Page
5HEALTHCARE
As far as the assessment of the article is concerned mainly according to the principles laid by Stoneham, Goodman and Daube (2014), it can

be seen that the governmental website has aimed at introducing interventions addressing the mental health of the igneous Australian people. The

article has clearly found out the various factors leading to the disparities among the indigenous and non-indigenous people regarding the factors

affecting the mental health care. It has pointed out the rare voluntary participation of the aboriginal people regarding the assessing the basic primary

healthcare features. Moreover it has stressed on the cultural factors for the consideration of the holistic factors for the aboriginal people, social and

emotional wellbeing regarding the mental health of the people belonging to the indigenous populations of Australia. The affected social

determinants of health along with the remoteness and in availability of the people according to the medical services availability has been considered

as the main factors (Mitrou et al., 2014). Thus various considerations and recommendations has been given to get rid of them for the ultimately

reduction in the mental well disorders among the people. Thus this articles has a positive focus showing a health future for the community. The

impact of the article has a ray of hope for the people belonging to the areas where mental health is prevalent along with the ailments associated with

it.

Assessment of article 3:

The third article is a review article written by the author for focusing on the prevalence rates of the Indigenous populations of Australia

(Black et al., 2017). Along with the Torres and aboriginal populations. This systematic review has been conducted using a plethora of databases

like Scopus, PubMed , Psych INFO along with health collections,. There has been data extraction using the search strategy and the involvement of

the inclusion as well as the exclusion criteria. It has been seen from the conclusions that there is an increasing occurrence of psychiatric disorders for
Document Page
6HEALTHCARE
the prevalence rates among the indigenous communities in Australia. Moreover the primary aim of the systematic review is the determination of the

prevalence rates of the psychiatric disorders among the indigenous rates among the populations in Australia. The various disorders considered are

psychotic, somatoform, psychotic and various adjustment disorders. The disorders focused by the article in this paper include the indigenous

prevalence of various psychotic disorders, along with the prevalence post-traumatic stress disorders along with mood disorders and anxiety

disorders have been considered (Gibson, 2015). Thus the key issues focused here is the mental diseases prevalence, with the health issues of the

mental disorders.

According to the assessment of the article determined related to the principles laid by Stoneham, Goodman and Daube (2014), it has been

seen that this article has a neutral focus highlighting the positive and negative effects of the prevalence of the mental diseases among the indigenous

populations. The higher rates of prevalence of the health disorders have been found across the typically employed samples of the incarcerated

indigenous people . Moreover the positive factors on the implementation of various assessment tools. The use of the Composite International

diagnostic interview has been done assessing the various alcohol and the other substance use disorders.

Conclusion

Thus, from the following paragraphs it can be understood there are various factors underlying the health disparities among the indigenous

populations of Australia. There has been the consideration of the various media items like journals, and health promotional strategies given on the

governmental websites. Moreover the articles have focused on the prevalence of mental diseases and health disparities among the indigenous
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
7HEALTHCARE
populations. The first article focusses on the negative impact of the mental health diseases on the overall wellbeing of the people. Thus the

disparities of health along with the social determinants of health compromised have a total effect on the future.
Document Page
8HEALTHCARE
References

Anderson, I., Robson, B., Connolly, M., Al-Yaman, F., Bjertness, E., King, A., ... & Pesantes, M. A. (2016). Indigenous and tribal peoples' health

(The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Global Collaboration): a population study.
The Lancet, 388(10040), 131-157. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-
6736(16)00345-7

Black, E. B., Ranmuthugala, G., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, S., Toombs, M. R., Nicholson, G. C., & Kisely, S. (2015). A systematic review:

Identifying the prevalence rates of psychiatric disorder in Australia’s Indigenous populations.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of
Psychiatry
, 49(5), 412-429. doi.org/10.1177/0004867415569802
Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., & Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural competency in health care for Indigenous peoples

of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA: a systematic review.
International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 27(2), 89-98.
doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzv010

Day, A., Nakata, V., Nakata, M., & Martin, G. (2015). Indigenous students' persistence in higher education in Australia: contextualising
models of change from psychology to understand and aid students' practices at a cultural interface.
Higher Education Research &
Development
, 34(3), 501-512. doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.973379
Document Page
9HEALTHCARE
Dudgeon, P., & Walker, R. (2015). Decolonising Australian psychology: Discourses, strategies, and practice.
doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1687
Gibson, O., Lisy, K., Davy, C., Aromataris, E., Kite, E., Lockwood, C., ... & Brown, A. (2015). Enablers and barriers to the implementation of

primary health care interventions for Indigenous people with chronic diseases: a systematic review.
Implementation Science, 10(1), 71.
doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0261-x

Green, D., & Minchin, L. (2014). Living on climate-changed country: Indigenous health, well-being and climate change in remote Australian

communities.
EcoHealth, 11(2), 263-272. 10.1007/s00038-009-0112-0
Henderson, C., Noblett, J., Parke, H., Clement, S., Caffrey, A., Gale-Grant, O., ... & Thornicroft, G. (2014). Mental health-related stigma in health

care and mental health-care settings.
The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(6), 467-482. doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00023-6
Mitrou, F., Cooke, M., Lawrence, D., Povah, D., Mobilia, E., Guimond, E., & Zubrick, S. R. (2014). Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a

census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 1981–2006.
BMC Public Health, 14(1),
201.
doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-201
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Paraphrase This Document

Need a fresh take? Get an instant paraphrase of this document with our AI Paraphraser
Document Page
10HEALTHCARE
Nasir, B. F., Toombs, M. R., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, S., Kisely, S., Gill, N. S., Black, E., ... & Nicholson, G. C. (2018). Common mental

disorders among Indigenous people living in regional, remote and metropolitan Australia: a cross-sectional study.
BMJ open, 8(6),
e020196.
doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-201
Paradies, Y. (2016). Colonisation, racism and indigenous health.
Journal of Population Research, 33(1), 83-96. doi.org/10.1007/s12546-016-
Sahealth.sa.gov.au 2019. [online] Sahealth.sa.gov.au. Available at:

https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/c9265300414f31cab52cb7e8f09fe17d/

Aboriginal+Mental+Health+Clinical+Practice+Guideline+and+Pathways.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-

c9265300414f31cab52cb7e8f09fe17d-mHtgxNV [Accessed 26 May 2019].

Stoneham, M., Goodman, J., & Daube, M. (2014). The portrayal of Indigenous health in selected Australian media.
The International Indigenous
Policy Journal
, 5(1), 1-13. Retreived from https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/33658
Document Page
11HEALTHCARE
Appendix

Name of the

a
uthor
Name of the

article

Year of

publication

Methodology
Results of the
focus of

framework

Links

Nasir, B. F.,

Toombs, M.

R.,

Kondalsamy-

Chennakesav

an, S., Kisely,

S., Gill, N. S.,

Black, E., ...

& Nicholson,

G. C. (2018).

Common

mental

disorders

among

Indigenous

people living

in regional,

remote and

metropolitan

Australia: a

cross-

sectional

study.

2018
Cross sectional
cohort study

Negative
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/6/e020196.abstract
chevron_up_icon
1 out of 14
circle_padding
hide_on_mobile
zoom_out_icon
[object Object]