Working towards a knowledge of culture...
Foraging around recently looking for online material to support indigenous mental health I found some terrific videos on the KidsMatter website
KidsMatter is funded by the Federal Government and beyondblue and is aimed mainly at school communities, providing a framework for mental health education in primary school and early childhood.
Have a look at the introductory videos on this page to get a sense of what it is all about.
Hidden on the site are some resources to use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Maybe you should read this page before you use the animations with patients or recommend them but here is the link to the animations themselves. The animations have great themes like cultural identity, connection with family and community and the importance of school education along with what you learn outside school. They are colourful and amusing with cute characters and jaunty soundtracks. Whether you can use them in your practice or not, watching them will teach you a few things about Indigenous culture and communication.
If you feel you don’t know enough about Indigenous culture you might want to take the time to look at the RACGP online cultural awareness modules and earn some CPD points along the way
My next stop is Stan Grant’s new book, Talking to My Country. It was recommended strongly to me recently by someone who knows about these things. He said it is a “must read” for anyone who wants to be informed about Indigenous matters, as all of us who work with Indigenous patients have a responsibility to be.
Gerhard is a full professor of Clinical Psychology at Linköping University, Sweden since 2003, an
d affiliated researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Professor Andersson is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of CBT delivered through information and communication technology, as well as the author of the book “The Internet and CBT: a clinical guide”.
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The PTSD Program for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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As someone who has practiced medicine for almost four decades I have had the opportunity to observe firsthand the upsurge in the use of opioid pain killers in non-cancer pain.