Abstract
It appears that mental illness was present in Australian Aboriginal culture prior to European colonization of Australia but was, most likely, a relatively rare occurrence. The much greater prevalence of mental illness and suicide in the current Aboriginal population is a reflection of the significant disruption to Aboriginal society and has a strong context of social and emotional deprivation. Management of the issues of mental illness in Aboriginal people requires a strong emphasis on cultural safety along with the recognition of family, culture and community in any therapeutic process.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3-7 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease |
Volume | 198 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2010 |
Keywords
- Australian Aboriginal
- Cultural safety
- Mental illness
- Suicide