Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing

Tweet

Address the gap in the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as a matter of national priority

Implement the recommendations of the National Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services that pertained to the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

There is a significant gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians that includes higher rates of psychological distress, more hospitalisations for mental illness, and higher rates of death from self-harm.  Despite the significant need, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have greater difficulty accessing appropriate mental health services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities need to be empowered to help oversee, manage and support the delivery of these services within their own communities.

The AustralianPsychologicalSocietyis seeking the support of all political parties, as a matter or priority to fully implement the recommendations of the National Review of Mental Health Programmes and Services that pertained to the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These include:

• Making the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a national priority
• Integrating mental health and social and emotional wellbeing services
• Fostering culturally responsive and accountable mainstream mental health services
• Sharpening the role of dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services
• Developing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workforce.

For further details of this proposal, please contact the Australian Psychological Society

Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM, Executive Director l.littlefield@psychology.org.au

Mr Harry Lovelock, Senior Executive Manager, Strategic Development and Public Interest
h.lovelock@psychology.org.au

Media releases

• 17 March 2016
  Close the Gap: Indigenous leadership is key to mental health and suicide prevention
• 20 November 2015
  Psychologists call for Budget focus on mental health
• 1 June 2015
  Psychology is closing the gap\
• 19 March 2015
  Dedicated Indigenous mental health plan needed to close the wellbeing gap