Aboriginal Mental Health

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Mental illness and suicide is a critical issue, which has a havoc impacts on a person and their family. High rates of suicides and mental illness commonly trait to a compound set of component like social, emotional , cultural and historical (Raphael and Swan 2015).Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide and mental illness have increased dramatically which were very low in the 1980s that are peaking heights in comparison to the non-indigenous population(Hunter and Milroy 2006). To understand the mental health of aboriginal people social, historical and cultural frameworks should be taken into consideration.There are many social and cultural factors like low economic status ,education, violence ,racism etc that are impacting on Aboriginal …show more content…

Social factors have differential impacts on mental health throughout the life. Poverty is one of the main social factors in aboriginal people creating mental illness and suicides (Reading and Wein 2009 ). A heavy percentage of these population lives in poverty as per UNO where they are deprived from all the basic needs, including food, sanitation,drinking water, roof to live, education.(Walter & Saggers 2007). Lack of all the basic needs will significantly result mental stress in the indigenous people. Aboriginal people address a greater level of mental stress than the other Australian Community(Parker and Milroy 2014). Thus, living underprivileged life associates the indigenous people with increased substance abuse , which in results will increase stress in the family environment and also losing social supports , which links them to depression and suicides (Reading and Wein 2009).These people are 4-5 times more likely to be hospitalized in regards to mental or behavioural disorders than other Australians as a result of heavy substance use(Lee, et.al …show more content…

Racism can affect mental health through four main different pathways: reduced access to the resources of the society like health care facilities,school etc essential for health(eg: employment, education, house, health care facilities);loss of self -confidence and self-worth that leads to mental disorders; stress and negative feelings that leads to mental ill health(Paradies et al., 2008).Racism is related with low self-assesses health status, mental illness,smoking and alcohol and drug abuse (Paradies,