Alcohol problems and psychological health in a remote Indigenous Australian community: A preliminary quantitative study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the association of psychological health problems and heavy alcohol use in a remote Indigenous community. Remote Indigenous communities have been found to be heavily polarised between abstinence and heavy drinking, with approximately half of people falling into one category or the other.1 There is also other evidence of poor psychological health in remote communities. Most data come from gross measures of morbidity and mortality (such as suicide, death from injuries and violence).1 Because of limitations in existing Indigenous mental health databases,1 less is known about self‐reported depression and anxiety in non‐medical settings and community samples. There is limited information on the association of alcohol problems with psychological ill‐health.