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in brief
- Australians born overseas are delaying mental health support and receiving less consultations than their Australian-born peers.
- Younger people and women are more at risk, new research shows, prompting calls for reforms to the mental health support system.
According to recent findings by Australia’s leading mental health organization, individuals born outside the country are more inclined to postpone seeking mental health assistance for at least ten years compared to native Australians.
The research, unveiled by the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project under Mental Health Australia, highlights that those who have recently immigrated to Australia, alongside the youth and women, are at a heightened risk of experiencing subpar mental health compared to their Australian-born counterparts.
The findings further indicate that Australians from diverse backgrounds encounter social challenges and stigma when attempting to access mental health services, as well as obstacles in obtaining necessary care.
Adriel Appathurai, a representative from the youth-focused mental health group Orygen, shared with SBS News that while distinct cultural communities face unique mental health challenges, there are also shared experiences among them.
Appathurai, who hails from Sri Lanka, reflected on how being raised in Australia as a refugee’s child fostered an attitude that made reaching out for help more difficult.
“I think for anyone who’s come from overseas, especially those from refugee asylum seeker backgrounds, there is that pressure to succeed, that pressure to do well,” he said.
“It can be more direct from your parents, but it can also be just that internalising again of, ‘my parents have worked so hard to bring me here, they’ve sacrificed so much, and it’s my responsibility to now provide for them, care for them, do well and be successful’.”
‘Considerable stigma’
Mental Health Australia CEO Carolyn Nikoloski said the group’s research identified several pressures experienced by Australians with multicultural backgrounds and those born overseas.
“We know that the process of moving overseas is in and of itself a really stressful experience, so that can be a risk factor for poor mental health,” she told SBS News.
“We also know that when people are separated from their family and friendship and other support networks, that can be a contributor to poor mental health.”
Australians with multicultural backgrounds were more likely to experience racism and discrimination, causing further harm to their mental health, the organisation found.
Racism and discrimination could create stigma, she said, which can be compounded by feelings of judgement from within a family or cultural group.
“Particularly for people from multicultural communities, we know that there’s still considerable stigma associated with mental health. And that stigma can be tied to feelings of shame and a concern about not wanting to worry family members,” Nikoloski said.
Systemic issues
There are also practical barriers to getting support for mental health, like the service system itself being confusing and hard to navigate.
Co-author of the new research, Dr Andre Renzaho, said the delay in multicultural Australians seeking mental health support showed systemic and structural barriers prevented meaningful engagement with the healthcare system.
“Australian-born individuals were more likely to receive 20 or more consultations than migrants, which is really a problem, showing systemic issues,” said Renzaho, who is a professor at Western Sydney University with a background in health and development.
Renzaho said challenges for migrants can begin when they first arrive in Australia and try to navigate the nation’s “complex” health system.
“Being able to communicate within that system, being able to understand the referral pathways within that system, being able even to understand the difference in services provided by professionals, or a GP, for example, as opposed to a mental health professional, are all hard things to navigate,” he said.
Even after finding an appropriate appointment, some may face other challenges, such as language barriers, transport, and finances, he said, adding that this could lead to a “safety gap” that can fuel mistrust and misunderstanding.
“Migrants may have a different understanding that incorporates also a traditional construction, a cultural belief and the cultural construction of mental health, which may dictate how they seek help,” he said.
“And those cultural beliefs and the cultural norms may not be understood by mental health service providers.”
The report makes several recommendations to address these concerns, including culturally aware mental health education and training a bicultural mental health workforce.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at beyondblue.org.au. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
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