Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Clearinghouse

This paper explores what it means to flourish in later life for First Nations people, with a focus on social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and suicide prevention. It highlights the value of strengths-based, culturally informed approaches and outlines opportunities to improve service delivery, policy, and outcomes for older First Nations people.

This paper reviews Australian literature on Indigenous evaluation in social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. It highlights best practices, challenges, and the need for culturally safe, community-led approaches. Emphasising Indigenous governance and data sovereignty, it calls for evaluations that are empowering, independent, and grounded in lived experience.

This paper examines suicide among First Nations people and the importance of culturally grounded, community-led prevention. It highlights the need for strengths-based, locally relevant approaches that restore culture, empower communities, and centre First Nations leadership. It also examines gaps in evidence and key drivers long-term change.

This paper explores how systemic anti-Indigenous racism shapes the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of First Nations peoples. Drawing on recent national and international evidence, it highlights harmful impacts, identifies effective policy and program responses, and outlines opportunities to improve outcomes through culturally safe, strengths-based approaches.

This paper analyses key themes in Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention research from the AIHW’s Research and evaluation register. It highlights cultural safety, community connection, and First Nations-led approaches, offering valuable insights to inform more effective, culturally grounded policies and programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing.

This paper examines the intersection of physical and mental health among First Nations people, focusing on chronic disease management and social and emotional wellbeing. It evaluates various culturally safe and community-driven health programs and policies, highlighting the importance of cultural connection, person-centred care, and overcoming barriers to improve health outcomes.

This paper synthesises research on alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related harms and suicide risk among First Nations communities. It examines their co-occurrence, relationship and potential points of intervention and reviews existing policy and practice responses. The paper notes that systems level approaches are needed, with self-determination, community ownership, accountability and long-term investment.

[Summary PDF | 2.38MB]

This paper examines the interconnectedness of alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related harm and mental ill-health. It highlights the importance of evidence-based, integrated responses to AOD-MH that prioritise community ownership and trauma-informed care. This paper synthesises research on AOD-MH in First Nations communities with studies of AOD-related harms and studies of mental health, wellbeing and SEWB.

[Summary PDF | 3.47MB]

This paper outlines an evaluation of the Integrated Team Care program undertaken by the Hunter, New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. It focuses on the success of the program in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations clients, alongside chronic health conditions. It also identifies future opportunities to improve integrated service delivery.

[Summary PDF | 2.32MB]

There is strong evidence that climate change and global warming is a significant and growing determinant of mental health. This paper reviews the literature on climate change and the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people.

[Summary PDF | 0.85MB]