aidMH’s Research Register
Research Register
We are designing a centralised database of research, literature and projects on multicultural mental health in Australia.
Inside the library New
Every link checked on 29 September 2026
The principle at the heart of this work: knowledge should be built on, not buried. We are here to honour what’s come before and keep it growing.
By making knowledge more accessible and easier to share, we support greater connection across research, practice and communities. This helps strengthen collaboration, make the most of available resources, and ensure funding is directed where it can have the greatest impact.
The library New
Search and filter
At a glance New
What the library covers
Tap a topic to see every item about it. Many items cover more than one topic.
Policy in plain English New
The big plans that shape multicultural mental health
Government strategies and frameworks decide where money goes and what services must do. Here are the ones that matter most for multicultural and multifaith communities, with a short summary of each.
Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework 2025–2035 and Blueprint 2025–2028
Victorian Department of Health
A ten-year Victorian framework, with a first action plan, to make the mental health system safe and inclusive for multicultural Victorians, LGBTIQA+ Victorians and Victorians with disability. It aims to reduce stigma and discrimination…
National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Australia's ten-year national plan to reduce suicide. It notes that people who come to Australia as humanitarian entrants have nearly twice the suicide rate of other permanent migrants, and includes actions on safe workplaces…
Position Statement 46: The provision of mental health services for asylum seekers and refugees
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
The psychiatry college's position on mental health care for people seeking asylum and refugees. It calls for an end to immigration detention and for care equal to that of the general population, noting very…
The National Anti-Racism Framework
Australian Human Rights Commission
A national plan for how governments and sectors can tackle racism. It recognises that racism in health care harms health and wellbeing and recommends cultural safety training.
Victorian suicide prevention and response strategy 2024–2034
Victorian Department of Health
Victoria's ten-year, whole-of-government plan to reduce suicide, built around compassionate services and an intersectional approach. Its summary does not single out multicultural, migrant or refugee communities, which is useful context for advocacy.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic)
Parliament of Victoria
Victoria's mental health law, which replaced the Mental Health Act 2014. Its principles say services must consider a person's language, culture, ethnicity and faith and be culturally safe for people of all backgrounds.
National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement
Council on Federal Financial Relations (Commonwealth, state and territory governments)
The agreement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories on how mental health and suicide prevention will be funded and run. It names culturally and linguistically diverse communities and refugees as priority groups…
NSW Refugee Health Plan 2022–2027
NSW Ministry of Health
The NSW Health plan for improving the health and wellbeing of people from refugee backgrounds. It sets priorities for how the health system should support them.
Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, Final Report Volume 3: Promoting inclusion and addressing inequities (Chapter 21: Responding to the mental health and wellbeing needs of a diverse population)
Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System
Volume 3 of the Royal Commission's final report looks at fairness and inclusion in Victoria's mental health system. Chapter 21 covers people from culturally diverse backgrounds, refugees, people seeking asylum and LGBTIQ+ people, and…
What is missing New
Gaps we found while building this library
When we gathered this research, some groups and places had very little Australian evidence. These gaps matter, because services are often planned around what has been measured.
- Almost no Australian mental health research with Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist communities, or with many ethnic churches
- Very little about multicultural LGBTIQA+ people, and none we could find about trans and gender diverse people from multicultural backgrounds
- Few studies about older people outside Greek, Italian and Chinese communities, and few about multicultural carers
- The main national mental health survey results are not reported by country of birth or language
- Almost all research comes from New South Wales and Victoria. We found nothing specific to Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory
- Few careful evaluations of programs that have been adapted for culture
Our own work New
Research from our network
Exploring issues of culture in peer work
A qualitative study by Niharika Hiremath and colleagues, published by Springer in 2026.
Sri Lankan Australians and depression
Research led by Dr Amanda Daluwatta, a member of our advisory board, on how Sri Lankan Australians recognise depression (MDPI, 2022).
Know a report we should add?
We add Australian research, reports, data and policy about multicultural and multifaith mental health. We check every link and write a plain English summary.