Mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia during COVID-19

Pat Dudgeon; Joanna Alexi; Kate Derry; Tom Brideson; Tom Calma; Leilani Darwin; Paul Gray; Tanja Hirvonen; Rob McPhee; Helen Milroy; Jill Milroy; Donna Murray; Stewart Sutherland

doi:10.1002/ajs4.185

Mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia during COVID-19

Aust J Soc Issues. 2021 Dec;56(4):485-502. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.185. Epub 2021 Sep 20.

Authors

Pat Dudgeon¹, Joanna Alexi¹, Kate Derry¹, Tom Brideson², Tom Calma³, Leilani Darwin⁴, Paul Gray^{5

6}, Tanja Hirvonen⁷, Rob McPhee⁸, Helen Milroy¹, Jill Milroy¹, Donna Murray⁹, Stewart Sutherland¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Project Poche Centre for Indigenous Health University of Western Australia, Crawley WA Australia.
² Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Parkes ACT Australia.
³ University of Canberra Bruce ACT Australia.
⁴ Black Dog Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Centre Randwick NSW Australia.
⁵ Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association Sydney NSW Australia.
⁶ Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research University of Technology Sydney NSW Australia.
⁷ Healing Foundation Barton ACT Australia.
⁸ Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Broome WA Australia.
⁹ Indigenous Allied Health Australia Deakin ACT Australia.
¹⁰ College of Health & Medicine Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia.

Abstract

In May 2020, an independent working party was convened to determine the mental health and well-being needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, in response to COVID-19. Thirty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and allies worked together in a two-month virtual collaboration process. Here, we provide the working party's five key recommendations and highlight the evidence supporting these proposals. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and governance must be prioritised to manage the COVID-19 recovery in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To mitigate long-term social and economic impacts of COVID-19 to Australian society, the historical underinvestment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must be reconciled. Equitable, needs-based funding is required to support strengths-based, place-based initiatives that address the determinants of health. This includes workforce and infrastructure development and effective evaluation. There is a clear, informed pathway to health and healing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being enacted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and community organisations; it remains to be seen how these recommendations will be implemented.

Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; COVID‐19; Indigenous; mental health; self‐determination; social and emotional well‐being.