Indigenous leaders welcome the weekend’s mental health research and youth suicide prevention announcements and call for multi-party support for empowerment, equity and significantly increased investment in Indigenous primary mental health care. Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) Director Professor Pat Dudgeon and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) Chair Mr Tom Brideson welcomed the weekend announcements on Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention. In particular, Professor Dudgeon welcomed the news that $22.5 million in Indigenous specific grants from the Million Minds Research Fund had been made: For years, Indigenous people have called for our community representatives, experts and leaders to lead research towards improving our wellbeing and mental [...]

Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) Director Professor Pat Dudgeon and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health (NATSILMH) Chair Mr Tom Brideson cautiously welcomed yesterday’s mental health and suicide prevention budget announcements but looked forward to more detail being released before committing to a response. Professor Dudgeon said: I am especially pleased to see commitments to a National Suicide Information System. This is something that CBPATSISP and, prior to that, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP) called for. But it must operate in our communities and it’s not clear on the information provided whether it will. This is critical, such a system should help [...]