Past Programs
Drug Use and Abuse - 2006
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Aboriginal mental health part 1 - Tiwi Islands
10/06/2006
Mental health in many Aboriginal communities takes a back seat because often the most basic human needs are not adequately provided for. However, depression, psychosis and suicide are widespread, against a backdrop of chronic alcohol and substance abuse. But there are some amazingly committed individuals working hard to improve the situation with an innovative approach. Lynne Malcolm visits Tiwi and meets a man whose story of mental illness is being used to educate his community.
Fragmented minds, part 1
01/04/2006
One in one hundred people in Australia will develop schizophrenia during their lifetime – it's frightening and alienating, devastating the lives of individuals and their families. Psychiatrists and researchers are still puzzled by the complexity of the disorder. We hear about some recent fascinating insights into the causes and risk factors for schizophrenia. And a young woman tells of her lonely battle to tame her fragmented mind.
Petrol sniffing and the brain: 'petrol blackbella, chuck im la bin' Yilila
28/01/2006
The practice of petrol sniffing is devastating some Australian Aboriginal communities, with some kids starting to inhale petrol fumes as young as six years old. But amazingly very little was known about the effect sniffing petrol has on the brain until recently. Lynne Malcolm speaks with a scientist whose research is beginning to cast light on a problem which has been too easy to sweep under the carpet. And we hear from an Aboriginal mental health worker who takes computerised card games out into the community to test the brain function of her people.
