Aboriginal Mental Health Analysis

This alienation from the community is leading Aboriginal women to experience violence because they are not being protected by the community. This is alarming because today at least three quarters of Aboriginal women are experiencing family violence and the mortality rate for Aboriginal women due to violence is three times higher for Aboriginal women than none Aboriginal women (ibid 23). The Indian Act is a direct result of why Indian women are experiencing increased violence and being attacked because the Indian Act is refusing women Indian status and therefore they are forced off reserves where they are unprotected by the community and frequently target for acts of violence. Aboriginal women also face higher suicide rates and sexual abuse rates which are three times higher then the national average (ibid: 23). As Aboriginal women are being exiled from the community they are being increasingly targeted for sexual violence and abuse, this increased violence is due to the Indian Act because it is not allowing women who marry non-Aboriginal men to gain Indian status and therefore they are subjected to more violent acts because they are left defenseless.

Koolin Balit is a long-range and far-reaching plan to improve Aboriginal Victorian’s health (Department of Health, 2012). Victorian Government aims at improvement in the length and quality of the lives of Aboriginal Victorian by 2022 (Department of Health, 2012, p. i). It is mentioned that this plan is targeting Aboriginal people in Victoria both at individual and population levels (Department of Health, 2012, p. 4). Department of Health (2012) states that Koolin Balit was initiated by the Minister of Health at the Aboriginal health conference in May 2012 and is a Victorian government’s strategy for improving Aboriginal health in the state within a decade. Koolin Balit envisages its vision to make progress in the quality of life and life expectancy

Throughout this analysis we will take a critical look at the aboriginal identity, the suffering these people go through mentally and physically, and their relationship with the government (Anzovino & Boutilier 2015). The

The Doomadgee community, located in North West Queensland, is one of the most disadvantaged communities in Australia. The social, historical, and political context of this community has significantly impacted the health experiences and outcomes of its residents. In this essay, we will discuss the various factors that have led to these issues and suggest two principles of culturally safety that could have been utilized to improve the health outcomes of Betty Booth, a member of the Doomadgee community. Social Context

In 1996 he left office before the report was completed. The 25th prime minister in Australia as being John Howard was aware of the issue, he received the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report and yet rejected it. The Bringing Them Home Report had many Inquiries that set demands for the rights of Indigenous Australians, the effects of this history on peoples’ lives and Indigenous communities varied in many areas. The Inquiries showed that there were a number of common effects that varied through the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, many were left with mental and physical health problems, delinquency and behavioural problems, undermined parenting skills, loss of cultural heritage, broken families and communities and racism. It was a time for Caucasians to keep in mind that the removal policies effected generations of Indigenous people, even children who were not removed have been affected in someway, either as a community member or a child of a parent who was removed.

Under the Act, Indigenous people were forcibly removed from their traditional lands and relocated to reserves, often far from their original homes and communities. This practise of forced relocation disrupted Indigenous societies and resulted in the loss of traditional languages, cultures and ways of life (Wilson, n.d.). Forced relocation also had negative impacts on Indigenous people's health and wellbeing. The trauma and stress of being forced to leave their homes and communities led to an increased risk of mental health issue’s such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Indigenous people who were relocated to unfamiliar areas also had to adapt to new environments and resources, which often led to poverty and malnutrition (Onderkova,2015).

Title: Part A Reflective Journals Student Name: Hannah Warren Student ID Number: 17759577 Email Address: Hannah.warren@student.curtin.edu.au School/Department: Unit: Indigenous Cultures and Health INDH1000 Tutor Name: Due Date: Monday 30th March, 2015 by 11.55pm Declaration: I declare that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another unit, degree or diploma at any university or other institute of tertiary education.

A 2011 survey showed that Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 were less likely to be participating in the labour force than non-Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 (55.9% versus 76.4%). The same survey showed that Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 were three times as likely to be unemployed when compared to non-Indigenous Australians (17.2% compared to 5.5%) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014). When comparing these rates to the occurrence rates of family violence in Indigenous Australians versus non-Indigenous Australians mentioned previously, we can see that they support the statement that a stable economy and abundant resources greatly decreases the risk of family violence. Studies in the United States have also shown that when controlling for socio-economic factors, domestic violence levels will be mostly equal among African American communities versus white communities, corroborating the idea that higher levels of poverty are associated with higher levels of family violence (Sokoloff, 2004).

Monkey Beach Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson, a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations in Canada, is a captivating and gripping novel that tackles the concept of spirituality and Aboriginal life in a recent post Residential School time. Residential Schools, which were a type of boarding school for Canadian Aboriginal youth set up by white religious organizations started in the 1880’s and continued all the way into the late 1990’s, were such abusive and toxic environments mentally, emotionally, and physically, the aftermath not only affected the generation which survived them first hand but also the generations after and still has many consequences today. Robinsons protagonist, Lisa, is apart of the first generation of Aboriginal youth

#20) It was found that among indigenous people aged 10 to 44, the primary cause of death that is responsible for almost 40% of the mortalities is suicide and self-inflicted injury. There are also seriously high rates of alcoholism and substance abuse found on reserves. (Hanson, 2016, para. #20)

Aboriginal identity, mental health and suicide rates were outlined throughout this analysis along with the disgusting lack of government aid. As stated above, the aboriginals from the Kattawapiskak River have a strong sense of identity. The persons on these reserves are proud of their traditions and practice resilience in their faith and values, however, the physical and emotional pain these people are put through will soon break their spirits. They can only ask for help from the government so many times before it will be too

This sudden change still has an enormous effect on today’s Indigenous population. How is it fair that the oldest population of people die a decade younger than non-Indigenous Australians? The perpetuation of racism which is manifested in our society has left many Indigenous Australians in a disadvantaged position. Including through, limited access to education with adult literacy rates of just 30 percent and literacy rates of children under 15 more than 48 percent lower than non-Indigenous Australians, consequently means lower educational achievement rates and higher unemployment rates of 17.2 percent compared to 5.5 percent for non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Bureau of Statistics , 2013 ). These facts must be recognised to ensure real equality and a fair-go for Indigenous people.

Canada is known for its amazing healthcare and it is considered one of the best in the world. In Canada, healthcare is ‘universal’ to its citizens under the Heath Care Act. However, not everyone has equal access to healthcare, Aboriginals being some of them. Aboriginals have trouble getting the access they need because of socio-economic status, geography, lack of infrastructure and staff, language or cultural barriers an more. Aboriginals on reserve face many barriers when it comes to access to healthcare, they include cost, language, distance, climate, education and more.

This state of being part aboriginals has driven their identity in crisis. Indeed they have possessed a unique Aboriginal consciousness that have made them to reclaim their lost voice. Their literature has been used as a platform

The problem appears to become evident right from birth with aboriginal woman twice as likely as non-indigenous woman to have a stillborn baby and twice as likely to give birth to an underweight baby (ed. Healey 2000, p.4). During the period between 1991 and 1996, life expectancy for indigenous people was around 20 years than that of their non-indigenous counterparts. The lives of indigenous people are affected by many other health factors, one of most concern is alcohol related problems that impact on their well-being, family structure, and even aboriginal traditional life because they tend to drink more haphazardly. Some of the health risks to which indigenous people are exposed can be attributed the differences between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous people.