Essay On Aboriginal Health Issues

This essay will focus on health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and will examine the effects of stress on their health. Indigenous Australians are disadvantaged compared to other Australians across various areas of social and health indicators, and are at greater risk of mortality and morbidity. Evidence of the links between health and stress amongst the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population will be given, and it will highlight why such stressors exist.
Indigenous Australians are more likely to be exposed to life stressors such as, death of a family member/close friend, having drug/alcohol problems and/or abuse/violent crime, as well as higher rates of suicide, disability and chronic disease. The exposure of high levels of trauma, racism and grief contribute to Indigenous peoples life stressors. Indigenous adults were about three times likely, when compared to other Australians to be classified as having Very High Psychological Distress (VHPD). They conclude that high levels of VHPD are experienced by risk factors such as exposure to racism, marginalization and dispossession, chronic stress and violence (Cunningham & Paradies, 2012).
47% of the Indigenous population report to be smoking daily, which is double compared to other Australians. Passey, Gale & Sanson-fisher (2011) identified that girls/woman smoked because of colonisation, social networks, being disadvantaged and living stressful lives. Young girls smoked to attain their Aboriginal identity, and having limited opportunities and aspirations through marginalization. The high rates of smoking was caused by high levels of stress from the social consequences of colonisation, which include, loss of language, culture, social systems, land dispossession and socio-economic