After I saw Kind Hearted Woman which I mentioned in module 2, I started wondering about Indigenous peoples’ mental health issues. The woman in the documentary faced so many struggles in her life: poverty, career, relationship, drug and alcohol abuse, her own identity, and so forth. Indigenous peoples have to deal with different struggles, more than we do, due to the unique circumstances of their lives.

According to HeretoHelp, in some Indigenous groups in Canada, a survey shows the number of people seeking help was as high as 17%, compared to the Canadian average of 8%.

Health Canada, the Federal department, has some information about First Nations & Inuit health on their website. Also the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) states how to cooperate with Indigenous communities across Canada to help them overcome barriers and support their vision for improved mental health. MHCC also mentions what they have learned from Indigenous peoples in Canada through their work: acknowledging realities facing Indigenous peoples; developing close partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) communities; and appreciating culture roles in supporting well-being and recovery in FNIM communities.

In Australia, Indigenous Psychological Services (IPS) was founded in 1998 to contribute to the Aboriginal mental health field. They have three main areas of service delivery, including Aboriginal mental health training, cultural competency intervention programs, and Aboriginal mental health and suicide intervention programs. What they state in the website is similar to MHCC; it is crucial for service providers to recognize the uniqueness and diversity of Aboriginal culture.  The “one size fits all” approach would never work.