Interviews with African migrants in Australia about barriers to seeking mental health help. Stigma, cultural and religious beliefs and the way Australian health care is set up were key barriers.
Topic: Stigma and help-seeking
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A Qualitative Exploration of Sources of Help for Mental Illness in Arabic-, Mandarin-, and Swahili-Speaking Communities in Sydney, Australia
Interviews with Arabic-, Mandarin- and Swahili-speaking communities in Sydney about where people go for help with mental illness. Informal sources of help, such as family and friends, were used more than professional services.
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A qualitative study of barriers to mental health services utilisation among migrants from mainland China in south-east Sydney
Interviews with China-born patients, community members and service providers in Sydney about why Chinese migrants use mental health services less. Barriers included low mental health knowledge, communication problems, stigma, privacy worries and discrimination.
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The mental health and help-seeking behaviour of resettled Afghan refugees in Australia
A survey of 150 Afghan refugees in Adelaide found 44% had clinically significant PTSD symptoms. It looks at what makes people more or less likely to seek help.
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Mental health literacy of resettled Iraqi refugees in Australia: knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder and beliefs about helpfulness of interventions
Surveyed 225 Iraqi refugees in Western Sydney English classes about how well they recognised PTSD and what help they thought would work. It measured gaps in mental health knowledge, which can stop people from seeking treatment.
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Mental health of multicultural LGBTIQ+ people
A NSW resource page on the mental health of LGBTIQ+ people from multicultural backgrounds, who can face stigma in their own communities and racism in LGBTIQ+ spaces. It lists specialist services, translated resources, research and training.
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Understanding the mental health and help-seeking behaviours of refugees
A short AIFS research summary using BNLA data. It reports high levels of distress and trauma symptoms among refugees but only about one in five seeking help, usually from family and friends, with stigma, language and cost as barriers.
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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)
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 leads to Recommendation 34 on a safe, responsive and inclusive system.
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A review of mental ill health for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Western Australia
A literature review for the WA Mental Health Commission on mental health in CALD communities. It found there is no reliable data on how common mental health issues are in these communities in WA, and it recommends funding transcultural services and cultural training for staff.
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Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) review: mental health, alcohol and other drug services
A Queensland Health review of how mental health and alcohol and drug services work for people from CALD backgrounds. It found these services are under-used by CALD communities because of stigma and language and cultural barriers, which can lead to worse outcomes and more emergency admissions.