AAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have thrived in Australia for more than 60,000 years and are among the oldest cultures in the world. At this time, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relational ways of being, knowing and doing sustained families and communities well and ensured their continued survival for thousands of generations.
Due to the devastating impacts of colonization and the resulting social inequalities, the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is significantly lower than that of other Australians.
Compared to other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are nearly three times more likely to experience major psychological distress, twice as likely to be hospitalized for a mental health conditionand twice as likely die by suicide. For young people, this rate is even higher.
System changes and indigenous wellness paradigms represent a clear pathway to address the disproportionate mental health risks experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, well-being is viewed holistically, described as social and emotional well-being (SEWB). SEWB believes that mental health is inseparable from physical health and connections to family, community, country, culture and spirituality. These domains are interrelated and each is equally integral to achieving the total well-being of an individual and her community.
SEWB also considers the context in which people live and grow up. This includes historical and political determinants of health, such as the impact of colonization; and social and cultural determinants, including experiences of racism, poverty, inadequate access to water, food, housing, and health care; and protective determinants, such as cultural revitalization.
Academics, professionals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities express the importance of SEWB in improving the well-being of indigenous peoples. However, mental health systems in Australia were established on Western conceptions of wellbeing and the disease deficit model, which failed to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic wellbeing practices. These perspectives are reinforced by educational systems, which have taught little about SEWB.
Having culturally responsive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists and clinicians is imperative to optimizing culturally safe mental health care. Despite this, Less than 1% of psychologists identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, well below population estimates (3.3%). Addressing this underrepresentation must be at the forefront of consideration if we are to meet the identified needs of individuals and communities.
the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA) is committed to achieving the equitable participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the profession of psychology in Australia.
Where do we go from here?
Decolonizing the mental health system is key to transformative system change and is a movement that has gained a lot of traction in recent years. It is a movement that seeks to restore the harmony of knowledge taught and practiced, for the benefit of all Australians.
Decolonizing the mental health system will mean that indigenous knowledge is equally heard and integrated in the provision of culturally safe care. This means decolonizing our educational systems so that psychologists receive an inclusive and broad education that allows them to work effectively. It also means addressing the under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists.
the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) is working to do exactly this. AIPEP aims to increase the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists and to decolonize psychology through the integration of indigenous psychology into higher education.
AIPEP has been working with over 70% of higher education providers nationally to incorporate cultural responsiveness into psychology courses and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychology students. Tremendous changes are already taking place, including Demonstrated efforts by providers to decolonize curricula.
AIPA works closely with AIPEP and has played a vital role in representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists on national boards and working groups of key stakeholders. This has included recent collaborations with leading psychology bodies to address the cultural responsiveness competencies of current and emerging psychologists, to enhance cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We have also contributed to the landmark Australian Psychological Society’s Sorry forks Black Lives Matter Statement.
AIPA is proud to be involved in so many initiatives and to provide expertise on national issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists, our people and communities. However, AIPA remains unfunded and relies on volunteer experts. AIPA urgently needs funding to continue this important work and remain a national voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healing is a journey, and we travel it together. Decolonizing the mental health system is part of the path to fairer representation and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For this journey to be effective, we must work alongside and empower Aboriginal Community Managed Health Services (ACCHS). Effective government partnerships and funding of these services based on need are crucial for systemic changes in mental health.
Crisis support services are available 24 hours a day: Life line 13 11 14; Suicide callback service 1300 659 467; Helpline for children 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; beyond the blue 1300 22 4636
Vanessa Edwige is a Ngarabal woman, Registered Psychologist, President of the Australian Association of Indigenous Psychologists and Director of the Board of Aboriginal Mental Health and Welfare Leadership Body Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia
Dr. Joanna Alexi is a Research Associate at the School of Indigenous Studies and the Poche Center for Indigenous Health at the University of Western Australia.
Belle Selkirk is a Research Fellow at the School of Indigenous Studies and the Poche Center for Indigenous Health at the University of Western Australia.
