Close the Gap: Implement Indigenous mental-health framework

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) says bipartisan, long-term commitment to fund and implement the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017-2023 is needed to address Australia’s ongoing Indigenous mental-health and suicide crisis.

Serious psychological distress, self-harm and suicide are reported in Indigenous communities at more than double the rate of other Australians.  

The APS supports the framework, which was developed with Indigenous leadership and provides a culturally appropriate model for delivering healthcare in both Indigenous and mainstream services.

Leading Aboriginal psychologist and Director of the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention, Professor Pat Dudgeon FAPS, says, “Culturally appropriate health services respect, strengthen and build on Indigenous culture, which lays the foundation for improving Indigenous mental health and preventing suicide.”

“Cultural concepts such as connection to land, culture, spirituality, family and community are central to social and emotional wellbeing,” says Professor Dudgeon. “They’re protective factors and a source of resilience against elements at the crux of poor Indigenous mental health - such as racism, discrimination, trauma and grief, entrenched poverty and social disadvantage.”

Professor Dudgeon says any framework implementation plan needs to be developed in partnership with Indigenous health leaders and communities, and delivered by culturally competent health professionals.

“Delivering a program into an Indigenous community means local Indigenous community involvement in the design and delivery of that program so that cultural issues about delivery are considered,” says Professor Dudgeon.

In 2016 the APS apologised to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for past approaches to assessment and treatment that dismissed the importance of culture in understanding and promoting Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing. 

Anthony Cichello, President of the APS and Co-chair with Professor Pat Dudgeon of the APS Indigenous Psychology Advisory Group, says the APS is now working with its members to increase cultural competence among psychologists, increase the number of Indigenous psychologists and improve training of psychologists in relation to Indigenous issues.

“The APS is committed to increasing the numbers of culturally competent psychologists to help Indigenous Australians realise self-determination in the delivery of healthcare services that finally do close the mental health gap,” says Mr Cichello.