Religiosity, spirituality, mental health,and mental health treatment outcomes in Australia: a systematic literature review
The relationship between religiosity and mental health is a relatively well-researched field within North America, covering numerous domains of religiosity, including: religion, spirituality, prayer, church attendance, church affiliation and belief in God or a higher power. Considering the Australian literature, there are few papers that explore these dimensions of religiosity and their relationship with health, […]
Strong Spirit Strong Mind Model – Informing Policy and Practice
This chapter explores the Strong Spirit Strong Mind model specifically in terms of its application for practitioners and policy makers, and those seeking to use a highly regarded, culturally appropriate and holistic way of working with Aboriginal clients to deal with emotional, spiritual and social problems. Strong Spirit Strong Mind articulates the importance of strengthening […]
Intellectual disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; family
The aim of this chapter is to examine current and emerging themes in respect to intellectual disability to assist clinicians and their patients. Recent literature points to an increased rate of intellectual disability across the lifespan, from childhood, adulthood and old age, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a number of factors that […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing
This chapter examines understandings of social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) with the aim of clarifying the relationship between SEWB, mental health and mental health disorders from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ perspective. The chapter begins with a brief historical overview of how the term ‘social and emotional wellbeing’ emerged as a signifier of Aboriginal […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an overview
This chapter initially examines the concepts of physical and mental health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as they were understood and practiced over the vast majority of the last 40,000 years or so. The devastating consequences of the European colonisation of Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are described. […]
Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practices.
The Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice had its origins in the Australian Government’s commitment to improve mental health services nationally. The book was a key strategy to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific initiatives of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) mental health reform over five […]
(De)colonizing Culture in Community Psychology: Reflections from Critical Social Science
Since its inception, community psychology has been interested in cultural matters relating to issues of diversity and marginalization. However, the field has tended to understand culture as a static social marker or as the background for understanding group differences. In this chapter, the authors contend that culture is inseparable from who we are and what […]
Aboriginal health promotion through addressing employment discrimination
The Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) program aimed to improve the mental health of Aboriginal Victorians by addressing racial discrimination and facilitating social and economic participation. As part of LEAD, Whittlesea Council adopted the Aboriginal Employment Pathways Strategy (AEPS) to increase Aboriginal employment and retention within the organisation. The Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training Program […]
Harmful Substance Use and Mental Health
In this chapter, we briefly examine harmful substance use and mental health among Aboriginal Australians. We explore a range of issues including current substance use and related harms, social and emotional wellbeing and comorbidity, and the social determinants of mental health and harmful substance use. We examine the range of services that have been developed […]
Understanding the lives of Aboriginal children and families
Two case studies representing the lives of young people in an urban and rural context, respectively, are presented in this chapter with the intention of engaging the reader in the life course of young people in Aboriginal families affected by loss, grief and other traumatic life episodes. The resilience of these young people is highlighted, […]
Ngara…Deep Listening…Seeing ‘two ways’: What can Indigenous knowledge, mindfulness and observational skills training
The third Slice of LIME seminar was hosted by Flinders University SA on 12 September 2014. Presenters for this third Seminar include Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien (Kaurna Elder), Aunty Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Prof. L.C. Chan, Dr Heather Gaunt. Rapporteur for the session was Prof Lambert Schuwirht and it was facilitated by Prof. Dennis McDermott.
The third conversation: has anything changed?
The Roundtable brought together Aboriginal community leaders and experts in Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention along with experts, scholars and policy makers to engage in a third conservation about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and suicide prevention with Emeritus Professor Michael Chandler from the University of British Columbia. The Roundtable style enabled […]
Addressing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Aboriginal communities
This chapter begins with a description of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and examples of reported prevalence of FASD in the international context. It then draws on international and Australian studies to describe the burden of FASD, including studies relevant to the Aboriginal population. The section on the Australian context provides a description of some […]
Having the Hard Conversations
The second Slice of LIME Seminar was presented by Professor Dennis McDermott & Mr Dave Sjoberg from the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Well-Being at Flinders University South Australia, on 12th August 2014. It focused on cultural safety in health professions, & explored pedagogical methods for addressing issues such as racism, white privilege & […]
Principles of practice in mental health assessment with Aboriginal Australians
In this chapter, concepts and history of assessment and testing in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing and mental health are discussed. Importantly, recently revised diagnostic guidelines and the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce 20131 and their appropriateness for meeting the distinctive needs of Aboriginal people […]
Shifting gears in careers: Identifying drivers of career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in the health sector
This paper explores how the Australian health sector might improve opportunities for career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. It considers the current evidence surrounding career development in the health sector, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worker experiences, to develop a usable conceptual framework for change.
Admissions Criteria for Diverse Student Cohorts
The first Slice of LIME Seminar was held on 3rd March 2014 with Professor Fred Hafferty from the Mayo Clinic, USA, and focused on admissions criteria. Professor Hafferty led an interactive workshop and discussion on admissions criteria, and the way these criteria can impact on student cohorts and curriculum content. The group discussed: impact of […]
Family Violence: Pathways Forward
This chapter briefly examines the context in which various types of violence occurs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. In particular, it explores how they define and contextualise the violence they or their family members are experiencing. This context is important in determining pathways forward for healing for the victim, the offender, their families […]
Working with behavioural and emotional problems in young people
This chapter outlines specific issues relating to behavioural and emotional problems in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. It describes the most common disorders and their consequences, and how young Aboriginal people are at higher risk for developing such problems than other young Australians. The chapter also discusses the importance of psychosocial, cultural and […]
Key Messages – Making Tracks: Trauma-Informed Practice Guide for Aboriginal Young People Leaving Care
This practice guide highlights key messages arising from the development of a trauma and attachment-informed framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people leaving care. The more detailed framework is described in the Making Tracks: A trauma-informed framework for supporting Aboriginal young people leaving care (Jackson, Waters, Meehan, Hunter & Corlett, 2013). This practice […]
Teaching intercultural competencies in introductory psychology via application of the excellence in cultural experiential learning and leadership model
This article describes a pilot evaluation involving teaching and learning activities focussed on developing intercultural competencies in an undergraduate psychology unit. Specifically, first year psychology students engaged in two tasks derived from the alliance building and cultural mapping methods of an existing intercultural training resource—the Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership (EXCELL; Mak, Westwood, […]
A reference list for teaching about Indigenous Australians in psychology
The purpose of the list is to compile a reference list for psychology professionals who might be searching for relevant research to cover in their undergraduate courses. The list is partial and doubtless will expand in future updates. Sections include: 1) Scholarly articles 2) Coverage of relevant issues in psychology textbooks; 3) Psychology studies with […]
Developing an exploratory framework linking Australian Aboriginal peoples’ connection to Country and concepts of wellbeing
Aboriginal people across Australia suffer significant health inequalities compared with the non-Indigenous population. Evidence indicates that inroads can be made to reduce these inequalities by better understanding social and cultural determinants of health, applying holistic notions of health and developing less rigid definitions of wellbeing. The following article draws on qualitative research on Victorian Aboriginal […]
Trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care for Indigenous Australian children
This report provides comprehensive information on trauma in Indigenous Australian children. It examines the effects of trauma while also providing an overview of recent government initiatives implemented to address the negative consequences of trauma exposure in childhood and adulthood. The report also describes the delivery of trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care. Complementing the information in […]
Inclusive language guide: Guide to using inclusive language
Flinders University is committed to providing a work and study environment that recognises and values the cultural diversity of its community. The use of inclusive language is an important part of creating that environment. Used constructively, language can reflect social and cultural diversity in a positive and accurate way rather than perpetuating negative stereotypes about […]