High school outreach in remote northwest Queensland
The QIMR Berghofer’s Science and Young Minds project aimed to inspire the scientists and medical professionals of tomorrow by relaying the importance of medical research and health-related professions in an integrated school education and capacity building program. Focussing on skin health, the project included the development and delivery of science workshops to senior high school […]
What are the Frontier Wars?
The Frontier Wars refer to conflicts between Europeans and Aboriginal people including battles, acts of resistance and open massacres from 1788 to the 1930s. This website provides an overview of Aboriginal resistance to European colonisation and details a number of specific conflicts across the country. The site includes video discussion with Aboriginal and non-Indigenous peoples […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a mental health condition
The 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) provides a range of information about the social and economic circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over who said they had been told by a doctor or nurse that they have a mental health condition. In this article, […]
Illawarra Aboriginal community profile: a snapshot of an urban Aboriginal community
This community profile report provides information about the Aboriginal population of the Illawarra Region. It is intended to begin a discussion about how research can contribute to the social health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. The report highlights disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that are apparent not only in the health statistics but also […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations: Online Services Report—key results 2014–15
This seventh national report presents information from 278 organisations across Australia, funded by the Australian Government to provide one or more of the following health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: primary health care, maternal and child health care, social and emotional wellbeing services, and substance-use services. These organisations participated in the 2014–15 […]
The Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH): a long-term platform for closing the gap
The full potential for research to improve Aboriginal health has not yet been realised. This paper describes an established long-term action partnership between Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC), researchers and the Sax Institute, which is committed to using high-quality data to bring […]
Cultural experiences of student and new-graduate dietitians in the Gomeroi gaaynggal ArtsHealth program: a quality assurance project
Issue addressed: Undergraduate dietetic students are required to demonstrate cultural awareness and culturally respectful communication to meet national competencies, but exposure to practical experiences may be limited. The Gomeroi gaaynggal ArtsHealth Centre was established in 2009 after community consultation with the Indigenous community in Tamworth, New South Wales. The Centre provides a safe and welcoming […]
Improving healthcare for Aboriginal Australians through effective engagement between community and health services
Background Effectively addressing health disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians is long overdue. Health services engaging Aboriginal communities in designing and delivering healthcare is one way to tackle the issue. This paper presents findings from evaluating a unique strategy of community engagement between local Aboriginal people and health providers across five districts in Perth, Western […]
Who Cares and does it matter for the labour market? A longitudinal analysis of the labour force status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous carers
Indigenous Australians experience higher rates of severe or profound disability than other Australians, and the gap in rates of disability between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians increases with age. The relatively high rates of disability among the Indigenous population corresponds with heavy caring burdens. It has been well established that carers of a person with a […]
Back to the Future: Traditional knowledge healing learning journeys
The theme of this paper is embracing traditional knowledge in innovative educational change to move back to the future while stepping into action. A pertinent theme given many Indigenous health professionals have been leading action in our nation for many years in providing holistic healing opportunities for Indigenous communities. However, there is still much to […]
Colonisation, racism and Indigenous health
In settler-colonies such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the historical impacts of colonisation on the health, social, economic and cultural experiences of Indigenous peoples are well documented. However, despite being a commonly deployed trope, there has been scant attention paid to precisely how colonial processes contribute to contemporary disparities in health […]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 Report
This is the fifth report against the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF). The HPF monitors progress in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, health system performance and the broader determinants of health. The health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is improving for a number of measures, although there […]
Developing a best practice pathway to support improvements in Indigenous Australians’ mental health and well-being: a qualitative study
Objective There is a need to adapt pathways to care to promote access to mental health services for Indigenous people in Australia. This study explored Indigenous community and service provider perspectives of well-being and ways to promote access to care for Indigenous people at risk of depressive illness. Design A participatory action research framework was […]
Assessing the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous students
Indigenous people are a vulnerable and disadvantaged population whom collectively face much higher levels of health risks and challenges than non-Indigenous people. Indigenous youth in particular represent a population that are at even greater risk, as interaction between socio-economic, geographic, and cultural differences contributes to a lack of opportunity for youth to experience positive outcomes […]
Like drawing into sand’: acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of a new e-mental health resource for service providers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Cross-cultural considerations and difficulties recruiting and retaining skilled workers in rural and remote regions may contribute to poorer service use for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, electronic resources may provide the opportunity for remote workforces to deliver structured, evidence-based, culturally appropriate treatments with limited training burden. The aim was to develop and determine […]
Traditional Aboriginal Healing & Western Medicine, The Missing Gap
The sixth Slice of LIME Seminar was hosted by the Poche Indigenous Health Network in Sydney, on Thursday 28th April 2016. Do we need traditional Aboriginal medicine working with western medicine to close the gap? This Close the Gap forum considered the health maintenance and traditional healing practices of Aboriginal Ngangkari in western medicine. Could […]
A tertiary approach to improving equity in health: quantitative analysis of the Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) process, 2008–2012
Introduction Achieving health equity for indigenous and ethnic minority populations requires the development of an ethnically diverse health workforce. This study explores a tertiary admission programme targeting Māori and Pacific applicants to nursing, pharmacy and health sciences (a precursor to medicine) at the University of Auckland (UoA), Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Application of cognitive and […]
Aboriginal communities improving Aboriginal health: An evidence review on the contribution of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to improving Aboriginal health
Aboriginal communities have a long history of working to address the needs of Aboriginal peoples. Since the first Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) was established in Redfern, NSW in 1971, more than 150 ACCHSs have been established around Australia. While the Aboriginal community controlled health sector has long argued that ACCHSs are a vital […]
The value of partnerships: lessons from a multi-site evaluation of a national social and emotional wellbeing program for Indigenous youth
Objective: To evaluate the first three years of a national program to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous youth in remote and regional Australia. Methods: Combination of open inquiry and audit review involving investigation of process and outcomes, with a broad national overview supplemented by five in-depth case studies in diverse settings. Results: […]
Yarning about parenthood and your bub
This booklet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences aims to help support the mental health of new parents. It is adapted from the What Were We Thinking program and provides practical approaches to adjusting to the new role of being a parent.
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health
The Wharerātā Group of Indigenous mental health leaders from Canada, the United States, Australia, Samoa and New Zealand developed the Wharerātā Declaration in 2010.1 It comprises five themes on the importance of Indigenous leadership in addressing the common mental health challenges faced by Indigenous peoples around the world. Member countries of the International Initiative for […]
Development and validation of the Australian Aboriginal racial identity and self-esteem survey for 8–12 year old children (IRISE_C)
Introduction: In Australia, there is little empirical research of the racial identity of Indigenous children and youth as the majority of the current literature focuses on adults. Furthermore, there are no instruments developed with cultural appropriateness when exploring the identity and self-esteem of the Australian Aboriginal population, especially children. The IRISE_C (Racial Identity and Self-Esteem […]
Arnhem Land community-driven mental health program being used as case study for rest of country
A community-driven mental health program in an Arnhem Land Indigenous community is being held up as a case study for the rest of Australia. A small local team has been running the program at Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island for the past eight years, which has included support for the community in the aftermath of two […]
Aboriginal Children and Young People Speak Out
Since 2007, Aboriginal children and young people have participated in a range of the Commissioner’s consultation projects on topics such as wellbeing, mental health and alcohol-related harm. Additionally, the Commissioner has consulted with Aboriginal children and young people, their families and communities, during many visits to regional and remote communities from Kununurra to Albany and […]
Cultural Responsiveness in Action – An IAHA Framework
The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework provides information and support to prepare you to engage in a transformation so that, whatever your role, you can positively influence the health and wellbeing, quality of life, future aspirations, and prosperity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities.