Are the patterns similar for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
• At present, there is no definitive national data about the incidence or prevalence of mental disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. However, limited available research supports the conclusion that serious mental disorders occur in these populations, and such disorders are at least as common as in the mainstream population. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive proportionately reduced access to specialised care for mental disorders and behavioural disorders, yet their involuntary hospitalisation rate is significantly increased compared to the wider community. • The death rate associated with mental disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males is over three times the rate for other Australian males. However, the rate is the same for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females as those in the general Australian population. • An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person may also see particular feelings, beliefs or hallucination
