Burden of mental and substance use disorders in Indigenous Australians and Oceania

Mental and substance use disorders are responsible for significant health loss across the globe. In this review, the burden of disease attributable to mental and substance use disorders in Indigenous Australians and Pacific Island countries was described and compared.

For Indigenous Australians, findings from the burden of disease and injury study by Begg and colleagues were summarised. These were then compared to the findings of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, which reported results for Oceania, a region consisting of Pacific Island countries. Results for mental and substance use disorder burden were described in terms of disability-adjusted life years, years lived with disability and years of life lost to due to premature mortality.

Mental and substance use disorders were the leading cause of non-fatal burden (i.e. disability) in both Indigenous Australia and Oceania. Furthermore, in Oceania mental and substance use disorders are projected to cause more disability than all communicable diseases combined by 2050.

Mental and substance use disorders contribute significantly to health loss for both Indigenous Australians and Pacific Island populations. These findings indicate a substantial need to prioritise these disorders in terms of policy, services and research.