Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Discuss about the Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

The health crisis faced by indigenous population has a complex history. There exists a wide gap in the health status between non-indigenous and indigenous peoples in Australia. The gap continues principally due to government inaction and lack of adequate medical services and health funding that has been continuing since decades. Improvement in health status of aboriginals and Torres Islanders has been identified as an essential human right by the United Nations committee. Substantial inequalities are found between non-indigenous and aboriginal people in relation to communicable and chronic diseases, mental health, infant health, and life expectancy. The relevant factors that determine this health inequality encompass the scarcity of equal accessibility of health infrastructure and primary health care centers (Durey & Thompson 2012).  Other than biomedical health, several broader issues do exist, that are associated with this disparity in health service. The circumstances in which people live, work, grow and age are responsible for the inequities in health.

Results from several studies suggest socio-economic status differences in employment, education and income are associated with the health gap (Shepherd, Li & Zubrick 2012). Governments should ensure equitable distribution of health standards and primary healthcare facilities to achieve health status equality and address the position of indigenous people in the Australian community. The essay will focus on the social determinants of aboriginal health and how these issues can be improved.

I wish to proceed with formulating some healthcare policy framework that can be utilised to reduce the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous heath inequalities. My strategies will aim to address the root causes of the existing disparities and will try to achieve effective and responsive health services (Holland 2014). It is evident from national health surveys that alcohol consumption and psychological distress are more likely to occur among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Australian Aboriginal and Torres Islander Health Survey (AATSIHS) reports published in 2012-2013 established that the social and emotional well being of most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was compromised (Jorm et al. 2012). High psychological distress levels were reported by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reporting at a rate 2.7 times higher than the incidence rate found among non-Indigenous people in 2011-2012. Death of a close person, unemployment, chronic ailments and work stress were the most common causes for psychological disorders (Nadew 2012). The AATSIHS reports of 2012-13 showed that alcohol abstinence was 54% more than the existing guidelines among indigenous people (ABS 2017).

My focus will be to increase cultural proficiency among the target population that will directly increase the awareness on alcoholism and psychological disorders. Many research studies have identified the association between deprived health consequences and the socio-economic status. Lack of literacy, poor education, low income, poverty, run-down housing and low socio-economic status has been linked to poor health status. These factors directly affect the capacity to utilize necessary health information. Poor education, lack of adequate nutrition and poverty creates a hindrance in affording health services and maintaining physical and mental well-being (Richardson & Stanbrook 2015). The health promotion program I intend to develop will promote mental health as a legal right that everyone is entitled to enjoy. Moreover, I will try to make a wealth of information accessible to the disadvantaged people that will help them follow strategies to combat alcohol misuse. I will use mass media campaigns and posters to reach out to a wider population and use these tools to educate the patients and their families on the ill effects of the adverse health conditions.

In order to create a successful health promotion program, it is essential to understand appropriate cultural practices that impact Aboriginal health. My perspective states that any program that aims to close the gap of health inequalities should respect the cultural diversity rights, values and expectations of the indigenous people. The program will provide attention to the cultural, social and emotional wellbeing of the people and will therefore promote effective and holistic care of the Aboriginal communities in a sensitive way. My program will involve trained health staff, who will be able to respond and recognize the specific needs of the marginalized population. To ensure effectiveness of the healthcare program, I will make sure that the strategies use measures that confirm cultural safety and increase their awareness through contextual experiences. I totally agree with the above statement and will ensure that my health program does not interfere with the cultural values, practices and expectations of the Aboriginals (Biddle & Swee 2012).  The practice of self determination is central to the individual, cultural and family wellbeing related to Aboriginal health. It is a basic human right at all indigenous people are entitled to. They should be given the right to decide whether they prefer Aboriginal services or to be treated separately.

My program will also try to increase awareness among healthcare practitioners on the prevalence of psychological disorders in the community (Kingsley et al. 2013). The program will try to reduce stigma related to mental illness among the Aboriginals. I intend to conduct a satisfaction survey among the participants after the end of the program to document their feedback (Kowal 2012). I will speak to the respondents and their family members in a gentle tone as they may perceive high tones to be patronising. I will be mindful and sensitive while talking assuming their literacy levels.  

Forming a connection with the family members and concerned Aboriginal patients will pose a major challenge. Most of the time these people, stay away from disclosing their health status with person outside their communities. Unique addiction and mental needs among these people are often associated with stigma and resilience (Parker & Milroy 2014). Reaching out to the indigenous people who live in rural and remote areas can be another challenge (Bourke et al. 2012). Communication issues could affect the program management and would lead to poor health outcome. To overcome these challenges I would avoid usage of complex words and traditional language unless I have a sound understanding of the matter. I will seek consent from the patient’s family members while taking critical decisions.  I prefer to create diagrammatic pamphlets to promote the health program. Moreover, I wish to seek assistance from the local Aboriginal staff for cultural assistance.

I will involve local government and municipal organisations, ministers, members of NGOs, healthcare employers and employees as major stakeholders of my program. Equal collaboration will be required between the indigenous and non-indigenous inhabitants. This collaboration will reduce significant health disparities and will lead to identification of priority areas, thereby improving funding policies. Thus, my focus will be to create a framework that reduces discrimination and increases awareness of mental disorder and alcohol abuse.

Thus, I conclude that lack of access to health infrastructure, absence of adequate funding, poor literacy and less health promotion programs in remote creates an impact on the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. My strategy will be to identify these barriers and design a culturally and socially safe framework that can be accessed by the disadvantaged population to improve their health outcomes. The program will create awareness on two most common health issues of alcohol abuse and psychological disorders. I will conduct patient satisfaction surveys to gain knowledge on their feedback and the effectiveness of my program. Therefore, it can be concluded that this program will hopefully help me combat the longstanding challenge and health disparities.

References

Abs.gov.au (2017). 4727.0.55.001 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: First Results, Australia, 2012-13, viewed 11 October 2017, Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3D7CEBB5503A110ECA257C2F00145AB4?opendocument#Endnote1

Biddle, N. & Swee, H 2012, The relationship between wellbeing and Indigenous land, language and culture in Australia. Australian Geographer, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 215-232.

Bourke, L., Humphreys, J.S., Wakerman, J. & Taylor, J 2012, Understanding rural and remote health: a framework for analysis in Australia. Health & Place, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 496-503.

Durey, A. & Thompson, S.C 2012, Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus. BMC health services research, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 151.

Holland, C 2014, Close the Gap: progress and priorities report 2014. Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee.

Jorm, A.F., Bourchier, S.J., Cvetkovski, S. & Stewart, G 2012, Mental health of Indigenous Australians: a review of findings from community surveys. Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 196, no. 2, p. 118.

Kingsley, J., Townsend, M., Henderson-Wilson, C. & Bolam, B 2013, Developing an exploratory framework linking Australian Aboriginal peoples’ connection to country and concepts of wellbeing. International journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 10, no.2, pp. 678-698.

Kowal, E 2012, Stigma and suffering: white anti-racist identities in northern Australia. Postcolonial Studies, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 5-21.

Nadew, G. T 2012, Exposure to traumatic events, prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse in Aboriginal communities. Rural and remote health, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 1667.

Parker, R. & Milroy, H 2014, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice, vol. 2, pp. 25-38.

Richardson, L. & Stanbrook, M.B 2015, Caring for Aboriginal patients requires trust and respect, not courtrooms.

Shepherd, C.C., Li, J. & Zubrick, S.R 2012, Social gradients in the health of Indigenous Australians. American journal of public health, vol. 102, no. 1, pp. 107-117.