Analyse how social, historical and political determinants impact the effectiveness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to health.
In your response, discuss at least THREE domains of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander model of social and emotional wellbeing. (8 marks)
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*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.
Overview Statement
- Social, historical and political determinants interact with Aboriginal health approaches through the social, community and Country domains.
- These relationships influence the effectiveness of culturally appropriate care and self-determination.
Social and community domains:
- Socioeconomic factors like housing and education directly affect Aboriginal peoples’ ability to access health services.
- When poverty prevents things like transport to appointments, it effects an individuals’ ability to engage with health services and maintain wellbeing across multiple domains.
- ACCHOs respond by providing outreach programs that bring services to remote and poor areas. This reveals a key issue whereby social barriers can work to undermine even culturally appropriate approaches.
- Therefore, politically and socially addressing housing and income inequities can promote stronger community connections.
- A key takeaway is that health approaches must tackle social inequity to strengthen wellbeing domains.
Country domain:
- Colonisation and forced removals created intergenerational trauma that disrupts connection to Country.
- This historical damage effectively prevents traditional land relationships for many Indigenous individuals, essential for Aboriginal identity.
- On-Country healing programs demonstrate how reconnecting with land improves health outcomes. For example, Ngangkari healers working on traditional lands show much better engagement than clinic-based services.
- In this way, historical acknowledgment enables rebuilding of Country and spiritual connections.
Implications and Synthesis
- These determinants form an interconnected system affecting all wellbeing domains simultaneously.
- This analysis shows that political self-determination strengthens both cultural and community connections, with the COVID-19 Aboriginal Advisory Group’s success a case in point.
- It is significant that isolated health interventions fail without tackling underlying systemic issues which clearly indicates that health programs must address all three determinants together.
Show Worked Solution
*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.
Overview Statement
- Social, historical and political determinants interact with Aboriginal health approaches through the social, community and Country domains.
- These relationships influence the effectiveness of culturally appropriate care and self-determination.
Social and community domains:
- Socioeconomic factors like housing and education directly affect Aboriginal peoples’ ability to access health services.
- When poverty prevents things like transport to appointments, it effects an individuals’ ability to engage with health services and maintain wellbeing across multiple domains.
- ACCHOs respond by providing outreach programs that bring services to remote and poor areas. This reveals a key issue whereby social barriers can work to undermine even culturally appropriate approaches.
- Therefore, politically and socially addressing housing and income inequities can promote stronger community connections.
- A key takeaway is that health approaches must tackle social inequity to strengthen wellbeing domains.
Country domain:
- Colonisation and forced removals created intergenerational trauma that disrupts connection to Country.
- This historical damage effectively prevents traditional land relationships for many Indigenous individuals, essential for Aboriginal identity.
- On-Country healing programs demonstrate how reconnecting with land improves health outcomes. For example, Ngangkari healers working on traditional lands show much better engagement than clinic-based services.
- In this way, historical acknowledgment enables rebuilding of Country and spiritual connections.
Implications and Synthesis
- These determinants form an interconnected system affecting all wellbeing domains simultaneously.
- This analysis shows that political self-determination strengthens both cultural and community connections, with the COVID-19 Aboriginal Advisory Group’s success a case in point.
- It is significant that isolated health interventions fail without tackling underlying systemic issues which clearly indicates that health programs must address all three determinants together.