Overview
Measures under Goal 14 have worsened
Social and emotional wellbeing is a holistic individual and community experience encompassing many factors such as connection to Country, culture, family and community.
In 2023, the proportion of Aboriginal Victorians reporting ‘high or very high’ levels of psychosocial distress increased. In 2023-24, the rate of self-harm related emergency department presentations of Aboriginal Victorians also increased.
Goal 14 aligns with the following Closing the Gap Outcome and Target
Outcome 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy high levels of social and emotional wellbeing.
- Target 14 Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards zero.
The VAAF contains measures related to social and emotionally wellbeing but not suicide.
Closing the Gap - How Victoria is tracking nationally
Outcome 14: For the years 2019 to 2023, the suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria was 33.6 per 100,000 people. Of the six jurisdictions with available data (after adjusting for differences in population age structures), Victoria has the second highest suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is the first time Victorian data is available for Target 14.
Data Note
The following measures rely on datasets that are infrequently collected. No new data was available at the time of reporting.
- Measure 14.1.3 Proportion reporting strong social networks they can draw on in times of crisis
- Measure 14.1.4 Proportion of Aboriginal Victorians with a disability that have strong social support networks
Historical data for these measures is available on the First Peoples – State Relations website
14.1 Improve Aboriginal mental health and social and emotional wellbeing
Measure 14.1.1 Proportion reporting ‘high or very high’ levels of psychosocial distress
In 2023, 38.5 per cent of Aboriginal survey respondents reported high or very high levels of psychological distress. This in an increase of 9.4 percentage points since 2022 and is the second highest proportion recorded between 2017 and 2023. In 2023, 19.4 per cent of non-Aboriginal respondents also reported high or very high levels of distress. This is a decrease by 3.8 percentage points since 2022.
It should be noted that in 2023 during the Voice to Parliament Referendum, First Peoples in Australia experienced extra sources of stress from negative messaging and the burden placed upon them in public debate. It should come as no surprise that 2023 is one of the highest recorded levels of psychological distress for First Peoples in Victoria in the VPHS.
Measure 14.1.2 Rate of self-harm related emergency department presentations (by 15-24 years, and all)
In 2023-24, the rate of self-harm related emergency department presentations of Aboriginal Victorians increased to 27.6 per 1,000 presentations. This rate is 7.5 times the rate for non-Aboriginal Victorians. When broken down to presentations from 15-24 year-old Aboriginal Victorians, the rate was 83.5 per 1,000 presentations.
Over the past decade, the rate for both 15–24-year-olds and all Aboriginal Victorians have increased nearly 5 times. In 2014-15, the rate of self-harm related emergency department presentations for Aboriginal 15-24-year-olds and all ages was 14.2 and 4.7 presentations per 1,000 people respectively.
These rates do not represent all Aboriginal Victorians who experience mental health challenges, which is much greater. In addition to providing acute services, it is critical that prevention services are also available to support the wellbeing of Victorians. The availability and uptake of prevention services plays a key role in reducing the rate of self-harm related emergency department presentations.
Measure 14.1.5 Number of Aboriginal Victorians receiving clinical mental health services
Contact with community mental health care services has continued to increase for Aboriginal Victorians since 2017-18. In 2022-23, 1,612 per 1,000 Aboriginal Victorians had contact with community mental health care services. This demonstrates a high demand for the services, with some Aboriginal Victorians accessing the services multiple times within a year. This is one of the reasons why the rate of contacts can be above 1,000.
The rate of contact with community mental health care services for non-Aboriginal Victorians remains significantly lower than for Aboriginal Victorians. In 2022-23, 343 per 1,000 non-Aboriginal Victorians had contact with community mental health care services. This may also represent multiple visits and is an increase by 55 per 1,000 non-Aboriginal Victorians since 2021-22.
An increase in contact with community mental health services does not necessarily translate to a decline in mental health. It may be a result of increase in service availability and awareness and delivery of culturally safe services.
Balit Durn Durn Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing
The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System identified the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) as having a lead role in the design and delivery of Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing recommendations, through an Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre of Excellence.
In its interim report, the Royal Commission recommended VACCHO be resourced to develop, host, and maintain an Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre of Excellence, now known as the Balit Durn Durn Centre (the Centre).
The Balit Durn Durn Centre (meaning strong brain, mind, intellect and sense of self in Wurundjeri/ Woiwurrung language), established by VACCHO in May 2022, is providing sector leadership and supporting excellence in Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing practice.
With a refreshed Strategic Plan for 2025, the vision of the Centre states that the Centre will draw on Community’s rich cultural heritage across 65,000+ years of knowledge, work with purpose to support and lead sector-wide change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing and strengthen collective resilience, today and into the future, by connecting Communities using evidence-based practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing.
The Centre takes a rights-based approach. Its work is informed by the principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) focusing on self-determination, participation in decision-making, respect for and protection of culture and equality and non-discrimination. Once the Centre was established, the Centre took the lead in implementing a further two Royal Commission recommendations: recommendations 33.1 and 33.4.
Health and Wellbeing
Improving health outcomes and having a good quality of life will ensure all Victorian Aboriginal communities can thrive.
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