CONNECTION TO LAND: IMPACTS ON MENTAL WELL-BEING OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS

Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are indigenous Australians. Then, why do they constitute only 2.5% of the entire population of Australia? The reason lies in the dwindling figures of their social and mental wellbeing. This is the reason the life expectancy of any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders is at least 10 years lower and death rates are twice as compared to other Australians.

Naturally, providing safe and sound healthcare services to them has always been a necessity for which every nursing student is rolled out assessments on Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. If you are facing challenges in these tasks, then do consult our a nursing research paper has been the leading assignment provider across the world for more than a decade now where none of your queries goes unanswered. We not only guide you over imperative nursing topics but also provide reference assignment solutions for the same.

Social And Emotional Wellbeing V/S Mental Health

Social and emotional wellbeing is a broad umbrella that entails several other aspects which are crucial for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. These include the social, cultural and emotional wellbeing of every individual.

There is a strong connection to the land which impacts the living conditions of the indigenous Australians. There are a lot of other factors as well that have an impact on them such as spirituality, the community they dwell in, their family and the culture to which they belong. Also, past events and several policies impact their wellbeing to a large extent. There is also a strong connection between mental health and wellbeing which is demonstrated in the infographic below:

Other than social and emotional wellbeing, another term which describes the wellbeing of indigenous people is mental health. Generally, it focuses on mental illness. If a person doesn’t have any mental illness, he/she is considered to be mentally fit. However, in the case of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, the term mental health describes several other aspects that influence their wellbeing. This is the reason why indigenous Australians prefer the term social and emotional wellbeing over mental health as this term entails multiple aspects and presents a holistic view of healthcare conditions.

What Are The Mental Health Problems That Hamper Social And Emotional Wellbeing?

Although there can be a variety of mental disorders affecting the wellbeing of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, our nursing assignment writers have classified all of them into the following 4 types of mental health problems affecting social and emotional wellbeing of an indigenous Australian:

• Anxiety disorders

All the health disorders in which people get nervous and worry a lot about petty things are classified under anxiety disorders. A lot of torture has been inflicted on Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginals for decades, which have impacted their mental health.

Examples of this include post-traumatic stress disorders and panic disorders.

• Mood disorders

Mood disorders are the second category of mental problem that has affected most of the indigenous people in Australia. As per our nursing assignment help experts, every 9 out of 10 Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginals suffer from this disorder every day. In this condition, most people feel ‘low’ and some exceptions feel ‘high’.

Examples of this include bipolar disorders and depressive disorders.

• Psychotic disorders

Based on the past experiences of the Indigenous Australians, the majority of them lose connection with reality and this results in the change in their behaviour and thinking. This is the symptom of a psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is one of the psychotic disorder, wherein people hear unusual noises and get confused with the things which are visible only to them.

• Substance use disorders

Many times, Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginals get addicted to alcohol or drugs which impact them adversely. Substance use disorders are a mental disorder in which in spite of knowing the adversities that the dug/alcohol is inflicting on the bodies, they continue to take it anyway.

In addition to these 4 mental disorders, there are other problems as well that have a lot of impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of indigenous Australians, which include grief and loss, suicidal thoughts, trauma, self-harm etc. Understanding the cognitive behaviour of a Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginals is really important if you wish to write an assignment on them with ease. In this situation, our nursing assignment writers come into the picture and guide you on several aspects of Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginals.