The Implementation Plan Advisory Group (IPAG) My Life My Lead consultations 2017 provided an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and leaders, government and the non-government and private sector to help shape the next Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023. The learnings from the consultations are summarised in My Life My Lead - Opportunities for strengthening approaches to the social determinants and cultural determinants of Indigenous...read more
Abstract Objective To undertake a systematic review of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) prevalence, patterns, functions, and behavioural correlates for the Indigenous populations of Australia (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) and New Zealand (NZ; Maori). Method We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, MedLine, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles, CINAHL, and the Informit Health and Indigenous Peoples collections. Studies were included for review if they were published within the last 25 years and reported...read more
When comparing suicide in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) population to that in the non-Indigenous populations of Australia, there are significant differences in the rates of suicide and the age groups at risk of suicide. The etiology of these differences includes a history of colonisation and its aftermath including a burden of intergenerational trauma in the Indigenous population. It also includes contemporary disadvantage and discrimination. These not only impact on Indigenous family and...read more
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 in almost every key socioeconomic indicator. However the report is not just about ill-health and disadvantage. The Illawarra region has...read more
The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of illicit drugs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. It provides general information on the context of illicit drug use in Australia and the factors of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including the historical context, social context, and other social factors. This review provides detailed information on the extent of illicit drug use among Aboriginal...read more
As many as one in ten Indigenous deaths could be caused by suicide, a suicide prevention researcher has warned. Gerry Georgatos says the official statistics are masking the true extent of the crisis, and he's sounding the alarm on the rate of suicide amongst young Indigenous Australians. 'Too many are dying too young,' says Georgatos. The researcher says the Indigenous youth suicide crisis is so 'catastrophic', he's set up an online petition calling on the...read more
SEARCH, the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health, is Australia’s largest long-term study of the health and wellbeing of urban Aboriginal Children. An estimated 60% of the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia is attributable to the health of people living in non-remote, urban areas. While 57% of the Aboriginal population live in urban areas, recent data suggests only 10% of Aboriginal health research focuses on the needs of...read more
This book investigates the complex reasons for the discrepancy between the health and well-being of children in mainstream Australia and children in remote Indigenous communities. The high rate and causes of ill-health among Aboriginal children are explored through a unique blend of historical, anthropological, biological and medical analyses. Aboriginal children, history and health also includes the insights of specialists from a range of disciplines to provide an innovative framework for considering Indigenous health.read more
Introduction Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause lifelong disability, including physical, cognitive and behavioural deficits, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Among individuals with FASD, engagement with justice services is common. Little is known about the prevalence of FASD among young people engaged with the Australian justice system. This study aims to establish FASD prevalence among sentenced young people in detention in Western Australia (WA), and use the findings to develop a screening tool for...read more
Suicide rates among Indigenous people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia are among the highest in the world. During the period 2001–2010, age-adjusted suicide rates among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians were respectively 21.4 and 10.3 per 100 000 population per year. As staff of the regional state government-funded mental health service provider, Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service (KMHDS), we undertook a retrospective audit of an internal suicide and self-harm database that revealed much...read more
