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Objective: Mental Health Acts (MHAs) are important pieces of legislation which include essential definitions of mental illness and mental disorder and are used to guide decision-making regarding treatment, including involuntary admissions. In Australia, responsibility for reviewing this legislation falls under the jurisdiction of State and Territory Governments, resulting in interstate variations of legislative definitions and care requirements. In this paper, we outline some of the main differences between MHAs, and argue that it is time for Australia to enact nationally consistent Mental Health Legislation. Conclusions: Substantial divergence exists between definitions of mental illness and mental disorder, differing criteria for involuntary treatment and discrepancies between treatment requirements for Indigenous Australians. While variations between MHAs are understandable considering the historical context, in an increasingly integrated society, it is time for Australia to enact nationally consistent mental health legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The concept of collective trauma has predominantly been applied in the context of natural and human disasters. This paper seeks to explore whether collective trauma offers a respectful way in which to explore and respond to mental health and wellbeing issues for Aboriginal families and communities. Method: A review of the international literature was undertaken in order to determine the elements of collective and mass trauma studies which may have relevance for Indigenous communities in Australia. Results: Findings support the proposition that the patterns of human responses to disasters, particularly in protracted traumas such as war-zones, shows strong parallels to the contemporary patterns of experience and responses articulated by Aboriginal people affected by colonization and its sequelae in Australia. Conclusion: Adopting evidence-informed principles of family and community healing developed internationally in disaster situations may provide helpful ways of conceptualizing and responding in a coordinated way to mental health and wellbeing issues for Indigenous people within Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite recognition of the extremely high rates of mental illness among custodial populations and the fact that Indigenous people represent around one-quarter of Australia's custodial population, little is known about the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody. Mental health is an important component of social and emotional wellbeing for Indigenous people and this paper considers current evidence regarding the mental health status of Indigenous Australians in custody. Method: A systematic review was undertaken of the quantitative literature relating to the mental health problems of Indigenous people in custody in Australia. Results: Despite high incarceration rates for Indigenous people and evidence that both mental health problems and rates of mental illness are extremely high in this group, studies in this area are few and limited in scope. Conclusion: The first step toward addressing the marked social and mental health problems for Indigenous people in custody is to systematically identify the nature and extent of these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this paper was to investigate the importance and challenges involved in conducting serial cognitive assessments among healthy Indigenous adolescents. Method: Cognitive assessments were conducted at fortnightly intervals for 2 months and again at 6 and 12 months among a group of Indigenous students from a boarding school in the Northern Territory. These students were to be the healthy control group in a long-term study of substance abuse. Recruitment and attrition rates were reviewed and related challenges for assessing participants were identified. Results: From the recruited sample (n=49), 18% reported heavy or frequent use of alcohol, cannabis or petrol. Males were more likely to have used these substances compared to females. Attrition increased as the follow-up interval increased with 49 recruits reducing to 32 in the first 2 months and only 15 and 13 of the initial group remaining for the 6 and 12 month follow-ups respectively. Conclusions: Main challenges included (i) appropriateness of tests and assessment processes, (ii) high rates of substance abuse and other illness in the control group and (iii) high attrition rates. The importance of assessing cognition appropriately is highlighted by a lack of information regarding mental health issues in Indigenous populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study determined the cultural appropriateness of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) as an acceptable tool for diagnosing mental illness among Indigenous people.Methods: De-identified qualitative feedback from participants and psychologists regarding the cultural appropriateness of the SCID-I for Indigenous people using open-ended anonymous questionnaires was gathered. Aboriginal Medial Service staff and Indigenous Support Workers participated in a focus group.Results: A total of 95.6% of participants felt comfortable during the 498 questionnaires completed. Psychologists also provided qualitative feedback for 502 (92.3%) interviews, of whom 40.4% established a good rapport with participants. Of the participants, 77.7% understood the SCID-I questions well, while 72.5% did not require any cultural allowances to reach a clinical diagnosis.Conclusion: When administered by a culturally safe trained psychologist, SCID-I is well tolerated in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Firstly, to demonstrate the involvement of Aboriginal people in caring-for-country as a case study of how appropriately targeted non-medical primary preventative health strategies can be a cost-effective approach to addressing chronic disease among Indigenous people. Secondly, to demonstrate the use of an analogous approach in addressing the global chronic disease pandemic.Method: A review of prior biomedical and economic research based on the involvement of Aboriginal people in caring-for-country is used to: (a) exemplifying the cost effectiveness of a non-medical preventative health intervention; and (b) the process by which such an approach might be applied across a broader context.Results: The presented results demonstrate one non-medical primary preventative health approach to addressing the health burden affecting Indigenous peoples.Conclusions: The suggested steps in optimising the cost effectiveness of such an approach demonstrate how it could be applied in addressing the global chronic disease pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]