Challenges of Measuring the Mental Health of Indigenous Australians: Honouring Ethical Expectations and Driving Greater Accuracy

Abstract

Objective: While Indigenous Australians are exposed to more risk factors and experience a greater burden and complexity of mental disorder, there is as yet limited capacity to assess this at individual, community or societal levels. This paper explores factors associated with and consequences of inadequate mental health assessment processes.

Method and findings: The excess burden of Indigenous mental disorders is now demonstrated but is still clearly an underestimate. This motivated a project based in northern Australia to develop effective mental health assessment tools. The initial stages of this project brought together academics and practitioners with Indigenous workers and researchers from Australia and New Zealand. This provided significant and shared insights in relation to the collection and use of Indigenous mental health data.

Conclusions: Critical themes to guide researchers, services and practitioners were defined and presented in this paper along with a range of individual, social, service and economic consequences associated with systematic non-recognition and under-rating of mental disorders outlined.