Approximately 2.5% of the Australian population is comprised of people of Aboriginal descent with almost half of this group aged less than 20 years old. Early epidemiology reports suggest that up to 51% of Indigenous youth suffer from some degree of mental illness.
These reports suggest that the 51% of indigenous youth that live with mental illness experience this as a result of a number of factors including; cannabis and alcohol misuse, unrest within families, suicidal behavior and sexual abuse.
A study funded by Australian Rotary Health was undertaken by Ian Scott Scholar Melinda Omari entitled ‘Promoting the emotional and social wellbeing of West Kimberley Aboriginal Children and Youth’ that revealed the high levels of mental health issues within the area were a culmination of difficulties associated with neglect, grief, loss of culture and juvenile crime.
The investigation aimed to identify and explain the mental health and social and emotional problems affecting aboriginal people and families living in remote communities in the West Kimberley as well as outline goals and methods for intervention and culturally validate these findings.
New goals and methods for intervention were also expected to result from the study, a main concern for the research team considering mental health issues in Aboriginal youth and children have steadily increased over the past 20 years, unearthing a new need to employ intervention activities from within their own trusted cultural communities.
The research found a great deal of behaviours associated with mental illness such as alcohol and drug abuse occur as a result of a lack of responsibility in part from the individual and a lack of formal and informal leadership from within the community, highlighting the need for internal intervention strategies within Aboriginal communities.
While the problems surrounding the Aboriginal community is far too big to solve in a mere few years, Melinda is satisfied that her study can be used as an effective model for future studies involving indigenous communities.
She believes her work has highlighted the correct approach in organising preventative measures and the need to build self efficacy within young aboriginal children has been recognised as needing to come from within a community context.