Yatdjuligin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Care

This chapter discusses Indigenous suicide and self-harm from a social and emotional wellbeing perspective. It begins by discussing current rates of suicide and intentional self-harm by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, compared with non-Indigenous Australians and international Indigenous communities. The chapter then considers contributing factors to Indigenous suicides, such as intergenerational trauma, poverty and loss of culture, traditions and practice. The chapter contrasts social and emotional wellbeing with Western concepts of mental health and suggests that social and emotional wellbeing is prioritised in Indigenous contexts because it more holistic and positive. The chapter discusses the importance of culturally safe care in Indigenous communities when creating mental health strategies and treatment plans, using the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing 2017–2023 as its basis.