Aboriginal Australians make up 3 % of the Australian population and have a life
expectancy over 10 years less
than that of non-Aboriginal Australians.3 The small amount of evidence available suggests that Australian Aboriginal
children and adolescents experience higher levels of mental health - related harm
than other young people4, 5 including suicide rates that are several times higher
than that of non-Aboriginal Australian youth.4, 6 These high levels of harm are linked to greater exposure to many of the known risk factors for poor mental health and to the pervasive trauma and grief, which continues to be experienced by Aboriginal peoples due to the legacy of colonisation.7, 8 Loss of land and culture has played a major role in the high rates of premature mortality, incarceration and family separations currently experienced by Aboriginal peoples.