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Bridging the gap: Policy recommendations to address suicides committed by Indigenous youth in Victoria

Sheikh Shoib1,2,3 ,  Soumitra Das4 ,  Fahimeh Saeed5 ,  Miyuru Chandradasa6 ,  Ilham Zaidi7*
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1 Department of Psychiatry, DH Pulwama, Kashmir, India
2 Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
3 Mind Wellness Center, Nawab Bazar Srinagar, India
4 Department of Emergency, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
5 Psychosis Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6 Department of Psychiatry, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
7 Department of Public Health, International Society for Chronic Illnesses, New Delhi, India
JCBP, 4217 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcbp.4217
Submitted: 11 July 2024 | Revised: 20 November 2024 | Accepted: 2 December 2024 | Published: 30 December 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The Aboriginal population comprises 3.3% of the total Australian population, and youth represent 19% of this segment. In general, the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia experience discrimination, limited access to education, and low socioeconomic conditions, and exhibit high mental disorder rates. The rate of suicide attempts by the Indigenous people of Victoria increased by 75% in 2021. This study examined the possible risk factors associated with suicides committed by Indigenous youth in Victoria. It focused on the health profiles of Victorian Aboriginal individuals, identified stakeholders who could help improve their mental well-being, addressed the needs and issues related to Aboriginal mental health, and examined substance abuse in this population segment. Finally, recommendations are offered to mitigate the studied problem. Rising suicide rates represent an urgent concern because they reflect the diminished mental health conditions of a society, particularly among its marginalized populations. It is crucial to develop an integrated suicide prevention act that takes into account the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual determinants of this population.

Keywords
Suicide
Mental health
Youth
Aborigine
Victoria
Australia
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Journal of Clinical and Basic Psychosomatics, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4414 Print ISSN: 3060-8562, Published by AccScience Publishing
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