Social Determinants of Mental Health Impact on Indigenous Australians

This report examines the impact of social determinants on the mental health of Indigenous Australians. It explores various social factors, including social exclusion, oppression, acculturation, social gradient, structural racism, income inequality, health inequalities, health disparities, and unaccepted behaviors. The report highlights how these determinants contribute to discrimination, leading to mental health problems. It discusses the importance of community engagement, equity, and social justice in addressing these issues. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for effective regulations, legal support, and increased awareness to reduce discrimination and improve mental health outcomes for Indigenous Australians. It also underscores the need for healthcare organizations to provide equal opportunities and benefits, supporting their mental health and overall well-being. The report stresses that lack of knowledge about the social determinants and their impacts on mental health status of people belongs to community of Indigenous Australians will help to improve criterion of providing required services in proper manner.

Social Determinants Of Mental
Health Impact On The Mental
Health

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Mental health refer to behavioural, emotional and cognitive well being condition of an
individual to think, feel & behave properly. It is responsible for affecting relationships, physical
health and daily life activities. However, it can be considered as state of an individual in which
any kind of mental disorder is absent (Link and Hatzenbuehler, 2016). The present report is
based on social determinants impacts on mental health condition of people. It will focus on
impact of social factors on psychological health of individuals belongs to community of
Indigenous Australians.
MAIN BODY
Mental health care be described as emotional, psychological and social wellness of
people as it impacts on their ability to feel, think and act. It consist various mental health
problems such as dementia, depression, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder
(OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and so on. Imparts of mental health
consist behaviour, way of thinking and even physical health of a person. However, the
indigenous Australians had a community in a country ho face several problems while seeking for
health services and any other opportunity to make their lives better. Moreover, it has been
analysed that the main problem occurred due to social factors affecting psychological health
condition i.e. increase complex of medical situation of an individual. Initially, the social
components of mental health can be considered as primary factors about status of people that
whether they remain well being or become sick. Basically, the increase gap in health disparities
are responsible for reducing entire mental health of population in a country (Gottlieb, Wing and
Adler, 2017). Meanwhile, it is necessary to utilise community engagement approach for
Indigenous Australians in order to assess overall mental health condition to make effective
strategies for improving the same. In addition to this, it has been analysed that significant health
inequalities persist between and within minority groups. Furthermore, the factor of equity as well
as social justice can be considered as cornerstone of mental health condition of overall
population of Indigenous Australians.
Social determinants are responsible for causing various kinds of psychological health
problems among the community of Indigenous Australians which may convert into complex
circumstances for them. It consist various kinds of social components that effects mental health
1

condition of these individuals in which some of the are described here. Firstly, Social exclusion
can be described as multidimensional procedure of progressive social rupture separating groups
& individuals from societal relationships and prevent to participate in institutions as well as
normatively prescribed activities. It consist to avoid individuals belongs to Indigenous
community while providing various opportunities related to education, employment and
healthcare which is responsible for increasing risk of occurring mental health issue. Secondly,
oppression can be considered as an exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel or
unjust manner. It consist to put mental presser on people to perform that task which they do not
want to conduct which impacts on their psychological health condition accordingly. In context of
Indigenous Australians, it has been analysed that they get discriminated from society and put at
lower preferences which can be considerer as a physical and mental torture for them that results
into increased risk in occurrence of psychological disorder (González and et. al., 2016). Thirdly,
acculturation can be explained to assimilation to a differentiated culture specifically in
dominant one which impacts negatively on social as well as mental health condition of people. It
consist the attempt of some people to pressurise Indigenous Australians to follow different
cultural norms by avoiding their own religions which is not favourable for psychological status
of them. It will create more problems for these people because they did not get proper medical
services and immediate attention of care professionals in health care organisations that may
generate more complications.
At the other hand, social gradient refers to a different in opportunity and wealth of
people belongs to Indigenous community and other citizens of the nation. It includes the fact that
they do not have much resources and opportunities due to which they are unable to fulfil their
basic needs of life. However, they did not get appropriate employment opportunities and
education which impacts negatively on their earnings and daily life that affects mental health
condition of entire community (Wallerstein and et. al., 2017). Moreover, structural racism can
be know as attempt of inequality among people on the basis of number of elements such as
gender, community and other aspects. It will create problem for indigenous Australians to gain
required goods, services and opportunities in society which is responsible for making their
psychological status weak. It has been analysed that lack of proper resources and funds create
stress and depression for them which leads to complicated health problems for them. The factor
of inequality becomes a threat of their lives because the entire community of Indigenous
2

Australians get discriminated in society which negatively effects their physical as well as mental
health situation. In addition to this, income inequality refers to differentiation in salaries and
wages while providing job opportunities to individuals belongs to Indigenous Australian
community. It is observed that higher job positions are not provided to them and compensation is
not much beneficial through which they can enhance their standards of living and afford desired
services to spend life comfortably. Insufficient amount of earnings create a mental pressure and
stress on people which are responsible for developing risk of occurring psychological problems
for them.
Health inequalities can be described as partial behaviour of care professionals towards
Indigenous Australians while they are seeking for mental health services. It is observed that they
are avoided and care practitioners do not give attention to them and they get low quality of
medical facilities which are efficient to make them disease free. These people get discriminated
at health care organisations due to which these individuals may gain complex medical condition
or may leads to death due to avoiding behaviour of medical practitioners towards them (Connolly
and et. al., 2016). However, it is necessary for government to establish an effective as well as
efficient regulations in terms of reducing discrimination among people for improving mental
health condition of Indigenous Australians. Meanwhile, health disparities can be considered as
another social determinant which impact of psychological situations of discriminated community
in the nation. It has been analysed that low quality of medications and treatments are given to
them because their lives are not much important to be secured for care professionals. It is
essential for government authorities to strictly implement legal rules in terms of removing the
threat of inequality and provide strong guidelines in every sector for providing equal
opportunities as well as benefits to Indigenous Australians. It is very important to support legally
for making their lives stable and improve mental health condition of entire community.
Considering health disparities, it is very important to take legal actions against healthcare
organisations and professionals for discriminating among citizens while providing care facilities
to them. It will facilitate to encourage them for give proper attention to individuals belongs to
Indigenous Australians which helps to boost up mental health condition of entire population.
However, it has been evaluated that lack of knowledge is responsible to inappropriate delivery of
mental healthcare facilities provided by government for free of cost. It is necessary for society to
support them and helps to gain favourable opportunity as well as benefits in terms of gaining
3

better patient outcomes in psychological health condition. The factor of discrimination plays a
major role for worsening the mental health status of these citizens which is required to be
removed from society in order to render suitable and comfortable lives to Indigenous
Australians. Unaccepted behaviour is responsible to make them feeling discriminated and
abnormal as compared to other citizens which create depressed or stressed situation of them.
People belongs to the selected community did not get proper education and further lack of
appropriate employment which provide limited earnings for them (Hood and et. al., 2016). This
income is not sufficient to fulfil basic needs of individuals and they are not capable to afford
expensive care services.
The knowledge about social determinants and their impacts on mental health status of
people belongs to community of Indigenous Australians will help to improve criterion of
providing required services in proper manner. It will provide support to establish more effective
as well as efficient guidelines for health care sector that must be considered by care professionals
while dealing with people of selected population to give appropriate mental health care facilities
for their well being. Moreover, it is observed that delivery of medical services and other relevant
facilities will be improved in respect of removing threat of inequality for boosting up
psychological health status of entire population properly.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that mental health can be described as
emotional, social and behavioural well-being condition of an individual. It consist various social
determinants including Social exclusion, oppression, acculturation, social gradient, structural
racism, income inequality, Health inequalities, health disparities and Unaccepted behaviour in
society. However, these factors results into discrimination for Indigenous Australians in every
sector which impacts negatively on their mental health condition.
4

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Connolly, M. D. & et. al., (2016). The mental health of transgender youth: Advances in
understanding. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(5), 489-495.
González, M. G. & et. al., (2016). Testing satisfaction of basic psychological needs as a mediator
of the relationship between socioeconomic status and physical and mental
health. Journal of health psychology, 21(6), 972-982.
Gottlieb, L. M., Wing, H., & Adler, N. E. (2017). A systematic review of interventions on
patients’ social and economic needs. American journal of preventive medicine, 53(5),
719-729.
Hood, C. M. & et. al., (2016). County health rankings: relationships between determinant factors
and health outcomes. American journal of preventive medicine, 50(2), 129-135.
Link, B., & Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2016). Stigma as an unrecognized determinant of population
health: Research and policy implications. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and
Law, 41(4), 653-673.
Wallerstein, N. & et. al., (Eds.). (2017). Community-based participatory research for health:
advancing social and health equity. John Wiley & Sons.
5