Mental Health (L1, L2) Flashcards
What is positionality (describe it)
involves knowing your position depending on your context (place and time) - and knowing if you are in the right position to speak about something
Refers to understanding how the social, cultural and personal background influences perspective, behaviour and interpretation of info (chatgpt)
As a psychologist we need to recognise our place and realise that we can’t speak on behalf of all other psychologists or about issues that we aren’t experienced with
What are some factors that can lead to mental health problems
pandemics
Natural disasters
Financial distress
Ongoing colonisation (specific for Indigenous Australians)
What is the overall trend in mental health
It has deteriorated lately, with the rates of mental health issues increasing
What are some stats on mental health
22% of Aussies aged 16-85 have had mental helath conditions
17% of Aussies experience an anxiety disorder
1/7 children between 4-17 have experienced mental illness
Estimated 24% of Indigenous Australians reported a mental illness
Estimated 31% of Indigenous Australians reported high or very high psychological distress in past 4 weeks
People with disability experience higher psychological distress than those without a disability
What should gov do to address mental health
Needs to allocate more funding to support mental health needs in Aus.
Costs to address mental health is high
Understand the knowledge systems from which psychology was derived
Psych was a largely western science and drew ideas from western knowledge systems, however recently, we acknowledge that knowledge systems such as Indigenous knowledge systems can also play a part in psychology
Some knowledge systems from psych might not be applicable to Indigenous psych - we must be wary of this, in order to not cause harm
Why did the APS 2016 apology occur
2 years backstory - mainly happened because some health professionals were harming ATSI people because work was done in a western application of medicine –> not culturally appropriate care
What did the APS 2016 apology include? What did they apologise for?
Use of diagnostic systems tht didn’t honour cultural belief systems and world views
Inappropriate use of assessment techniques and procedures that have conveyed misleading issues about capabilities of ATSI people
Not respecting the skills of ATSI people and their unique wisdom developed for this
Conducting research which benefitted careers of researchers rather than the lives of ATSI people
Developing and applying treatments that have ignored ATSI approaches to healing and that both implicitly and explicitly dismissed the importance of culture and wellbeing
Our lack of advocacy on important policy matters such as the stolen generation
What does the APS apology strive to do in the future
Listen more
Follow ore
Advocate more
Include more
Collaborate more
What was the UN declaration of rights of Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them, and as far as possible, to adminster such programs through their onw institutitions
What is Indigenous Psychology
Intellctual movement across globe based on:
A reaction against colonisation/hegemony of western psychology
Need for non-western culture to recognise the constructs of psych
Need to use indigenous philosophies and concepts to generate theories of global discourse
ATSI people’s right to extend sovreignty with respect to Indigenous ways of being (ontology), knowing (epistemology), and doing (axiology)
What is the standpoint for ATSI wellness
They view wellness/health as holistic
“The Aboriginal concept of health is holistic, encompassing mental, physical, cultural and spiritual health. This holisitc concept doesn’t just refer to the whole body but is in fact steeped in harmonious interrealtions which constitute cultural wellbeing. these interrelated factors can be categorised loosely into spiritual, environmental, ideological, political, social, economic, mental and physical health
Crucially, it must be understood that when the harmony of these interrelations is disrupted, Aboriginal ill health will persist”
What is the Indigenous standpoint theory
Tries to oppose hegemony of Western epistemology which aim to transform power so Indigenous knowledge is given an epistemological equivalence
Indigenous standpoint theory recognizes some of the distinct perspectives of Indigenous peoples.
What is decolonisation
Involves adding to and complementing the western knowledge base we have on psychology with Indigenous knowledge
Ultimately involves ‘Indigenising the system’ and preventing systematic racism in the system
What does decolonisation invovle?
Involves undoing the impact of colonialism by dismantling the systems which were perpetuated by colonial powers
