More handpicked essays just for you.
Mental health in indigenous australians essay
Self reflection on aboriginal health
Personal reflection on aboriginal culture and health
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Mental health in indigenous australians essay
Vukic, Gregory, Martin-Misener & Etowa (2011) point out that distinctions between Aboriginal and Western worldviews of mental health run the risk of generalizing Aboriginal culture without considering individual and tribal differences or appreciating the dynamic nature of cultural worldviews, values, beliefs, and understandings (p.66). These distinctions can become an issue if we assume a specific worldview with the people we are working. That being said a western worldview on mental health does not include concepts of mind, body, emotion, and spirit or interconnectedness with family, land, and community (Vukic, Gregory, Martin-Misener & Etowa, 2011). Through a Western lens the individual is assessed by the symptoms described and not necessarily
Culture is a collection of religion, traditions, and beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture is created and maintained through the repetition of stories and behavior. It is never definite because it is continuously being modified to match current trends, however, historical principles are still relevant. With respect to mental illness, culture is crucial to how people choose to deal with society and the methods used to diagnose and cope with mental illnesses. In Watters’
The dominant biomedical model of health does not take into consideration lay perspectives (SITE BOOK). Lay perspectives go into detail about ordinary people’s common sense and personal experiences. A cultural perspective, like the Hmong cultures perspective on health, is considered a lay perspective. Unlike the Hmong culture, where illness is viewed as the imbalance between the soul and the body, the dominant biomedical model of health views health in terms of pathology and disease (SITE THE BOOK). Although the Hmong culture considers spiritual and environmental factors, the dominant biomedical model of health only looks at health through a biological perspective, and neglects the environment and psychological factors that affect health. Depression in the U.S. is a medical illness caused by neurochemical or hormonal imbalance and certain styles of thinking. Depression is the result of unfortunate experiences that the brain has difficulties processing (SITE 7). Unlike the Hmong culture, where Hmong’s who are diagnosed with depression report the interaction between a spirit, people diagnosed with depression in the Western culture report themselves to having symptoms such as feeling tired, miserable and suicidal (SITE
Advanced knowledge of Aboriginal Health policy and issues at the level and national level including understanding successful measures around Closing the Gap in Aboriginal Health inequality. My desire to work in the aboriginal field begins since I was very young. That is why at 16 years of my age I started to be even more interested in understanding all the issues related to the aborigines of this country. Over time, I looked that all my knowledge be trained at health level basis to help to improve the Aboriginal quality of life standards.
Definition: Mental health has become a pressing issue in Indigenous communities. Often, a combination of trauma, a lack of accessible health resources, substance abuse, violence, and socioeconomic situations lead to high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in Indigenous Peoples. This crisis is especially apparent in Indigenous youth, where there is a growing suicide epidemic but little mental health support and resources are provided. The increase in stigmatized and untreated mental illness has continued as trauma and systemic injustices remain unaddressed. Indigenous groups, governmental parties, and health organizations are involved.
The 1967 referendum resulted in the change of the Constitution on August 10 of that year, initiating the start of great change for the lives of indigenous people in Australia. The referendum sought to change Sections 51 and 127 of the Constitution. Section 51 stated the Federal Government could make laws for anyone in the nation except aborigines, leaving state governments in charge (Creative Spirits – 1967 Referendum, online, 14/8/15). Section 127 specified that when the population of the Commonwealth was counted, indigenous people were not included (Creative Spirits – 1967 Referendum, online, 14/8/15). According to Faith Bandler, an indigenous civil rights activist, it was important to force the Commonwealth to be responsible for the aborigines
The aim of healing was to reconnect social and emotional harmony to the unwell, identifying the importance of interconnectedness amongst all people, animals, and plants Living in harmony with their environment, family and community is a central concept of health and healing for Indigenous Australians. Ill health is recognized as a manifestation of many factors including, spiritual and emotional alienation from the land, family, and community. The Dreamtime expressed by song, rituals, and art communicate the purpose of life, the spiritual connection of all humans, places, animals and plants and the necessity of balance Wholeness of body, mind, spirit and the living in harmony with nature were key concepts behind the Native Northern American healing philosophy.
Guerin, B. & Guerin, P. 2012, 'Re-thinking mental health for indigenous Australian communities: communities as context for mental health', Community Development Journal, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 555-70.
Mental illness is an addition to all of the previously listed perceived disadvantages of Native Americans by those of other ethnicities. Many believe that Native Americans are at a higher risk for mental illness than those of European descent. Many also believe that Native Americans have more people suffer from depression than their white counterparts (Stark & Wilkins, American Indian Politics and the American Political System, 2011). There have been studies conducted to test whether or not this is the case, with mixed results. Some studies say that Natives are at a higher risk and others say they are not. This discrepancy makes the answer unclear. If Natives are actually at a higher risk for and have more people suffering from depression than individuals of European descent, the question to ask is, “why?” Several factors play into depression and other mental illness, including biology, social standing, history, family, and any preexisting/comorbid diseases that could contribute to or cause depression.
Aboriginal health is majorly determined by several social factors that are related to their cultural beliefs. Health professionals regularly find it difficult to provide health care to aboriginal people due to the cultural disparity that exists between the conventional and aboriginal cultures, predominantly with regard to systems of health belief (Carson, Dunbar, & Chenhall, 2007). The discrepancy between the aboriginal culture and typical Western customs seems to amplify the difficulties experienced in every cross-cultural setting of health service delivery (Selin & Shapiro, 2003). Most of the social determinants of the aboriginal health are due to their strict belief in superstition and divine intervention.
• Amnesty International: Australia- governments dismissal of UN criticism undermines hard earned credibility in human rights diplomacy.
Moodoo exhibits anti-social behaviour, an indicator for his depression, through his decision not to engage with the white Australians through speech. This will be the first barrier to overcome when counselling Moodoo, especially because Indigenous people can find it difficult to trust a non-Indigenous person in disclosing their personal stories (Young, 2009). Working with individuals of Indigenous descent is more than just understanding their problems, as a counsellor must have an understanding of their culture (Young, 2009). Due to the many differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures, this can be quite difficult, and even confronting for a person of non-Indigenous descent (Young, 2009). The formation of a therapeutic alliance is essential when working with a client of any culture, however the techniques used to create a warm and empathetic environment are of particular importance when working with Indigenous peoples (Young, 2009). There are three core conditions that should be used when establishing a new counselling relationship
...n their SEWB and on occasion constrain the accessible decisions. By and large terms, such variables are normal for the upkeep of great mental wellbeing for all individuals, yet, in strategy and practice, Indigenous individuals have needed to adjust to certain effects on their lifestyles and territories. Current understandings of SEWB uncover Indigenous individuals as needing to face a wide extend of social, investment, instructive and legitimate stressors seen as demanding a progressing impact on their mental wellbeing - the continuous legacy of a history pointed at their osmosis into standard Australian culture that from various perspectives served to undermine any feeling of fitting in with it. Generally speaking, improving the SEWB of Indigenous individuals remains a substantial and key try keeping in mind the difficulties are critical, they are not outlandish.
Dudgeon, P., Walker, R., & Milroy, H. (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles (2nd ed.). Perth: Kulunga Research Network.
...s a way of coping with bad memories and changes in culture (Reser, 1991). Many Indigenous are still being affected by the events which unfolded long ago. Alcohol is consumed by many who are known to have mental disorders. Depression is a major issue within the aboriginal population with many suffering with factors like grief, shame, worry, homesickness, and anger due to the colonization and the way it has changed their everyday life, culture and environment (Reser).
Indigenous psychology is concerned with creating and implementing culturally specific practices, concepts and tools for the study, and assessment of human functioning within the context of a native culture. For many non-western countries the inceptions of indigenous psychology are guided by a desire to develop appropriate solutions to psychological and social concerns that are more in sync with its socio-cultural realities and ideologies. As Sinha (1997) explains, “…the indigenous approach has two concerns: that of embedding psychology in specific cultural context, and of establishing a universality of its empirical base and principles” (p. 131). While there is general agreement when defining the parameters in the indigenous approach, concepts related to culture are less defined, vague and often too broad.