Indigenous Australians’ Understandings Regarding Mental Health and Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper was to determine what is currently documented about Indigenous Australians' understandings of mental health and mental disorders through a meta-synthesis of peer-reviewed qualitative empirical research. The following databases were electronically searched (1995-April 2006): AOA-FT and AIATSIS, Blackwell Synergy, CINAHL and Pre CINHAL, Health source: nursing/academic edition, Medline, Proquest health and medical complete, PsycInfo, Science Direct, Synergy and HealthInfoNet. Eligible studies were those written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals, empirical studies that considered Indigenous people's understandings of mental health and provided details on methodology. Five articles from four qualitative studies met these criteria. Meta-ethnography was used to identify common themes emerging from the original studies. Reciprocal translation was used to synthesize the findings to provide new interpretations extending beyond those presented in the original studies. An overarching theme emerged from the synthesis: the dynamic interconnectedness between the multi-factorial components of life circumstances. Reciprocal translations and synthesis regarding Indigenous understandings of mental health and illness resulted in five themes: (i) culture and spirituality; (ii) family and community kinships; (iii) historical, social and economic factors; (iv) fear and education; and (v) loss. The application of a meta-synthesis to these qualitative studies provided a deeper insight into Indigenous people's understandings of mental health and illness. The importance of understanding Indigenous descriptions and perceptions of mental health issues is crucial to enable two-way understandings between Indigenous people's constructs of wellness and Western biomedical diagnostic labels and treatment pathways for mental disorders and mental health problems.

Realist Review of Programs, Policies, and Interventions to Enhance the Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People Living in Out-of-Home Care

“…4). A meta-synthesis of studies conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found that attempts at defining mental health included elements of cultural, spiritual, social, and emotional well-being (Ypinazar et al, 2007). Ypinazar et al (2007) also noted that there is no single Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and thus a definitive consensus regarding the definition of mental health has not yet been reached.…”

“…2) Episodes of mental illness in the general population are initially treated in the primary health system or referred to mental health services for specialist treatment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts stress the importance of a shared, cooperative approach to defining mental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Ypinazar, Margolis, Haswell-Elkins, & Tsey, 2007). From an Aboriginal perspective, services should not just aim for an absence of the signs and symptoms of mental illness in an individual, but should "strive to achieve the state where every individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being of their community" (NACCHO cited in Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales, n.d., para.…”

Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Suicides: A Comparison Based on the Queensland Suicide Registry

“…Potential explanations have included loss of cultural identity, intergenerational trauma caused by colonization and social exclusion. However, understanding of mental health problems in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remains unclear [9]. Differences in suicide rates compared with other Australians are particularly deep for early adolescents aged 10-14 years, with Indigenous Australians having over 12-times higher suicide rates [10].…”

Towards an Aboriginal Knowledge Place: Cultural Practices as a Pathway to Wellness in the Context of a Tertiary Hospital

“…They include quantitative research targeting demographic risk factors (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010) and environmental risk factors (Clough et al, 2004;Dingwall & Cairney, 2011;Gault, Krupinski, & Stoller, 1970;Lee et al, 2009;McKendrick et al, 1990) as well as qualitative research focused on social risk factors (Bostock, 1924;Cawte, 1963Cawte, , 1988Eley et al, 2007;Hunter, 1991;Petchkovsky & San Roque, 2002) and clinical practice (Hunter, 1993(Hunter, , 2004Peeters & Kelly, 1999;Turale, 1994;Ypinazar, Margolis, Haswell-Elkins, & Tsey, Indigenist academics strive to add to the knowledge acquired via the Western research paradigm so that policy, practice, and evaluation may be more socially and culturally informed with respect to Indigenous Peoples. Rigney (1999) emphasises the need to liberate Australian Indigenous knowledge from the control, storage, and extraction techniques inherent in the Western academic discourse.…”