Psychiatric disorders among aborigines of the Australian Western Desert

A psychiatric survey of 959 Australian Western Desert and Kimberley aborigines finds cases of dementia, schizophrenia, puerperal psychosis, depression, hysterical states, personality disorders, organic brain syndromes, mental deficiency and childhood behavioural disorders.

Abstract

This paper describes a psychiatric survey of 959 Australian Western Desert and Kimberley aborigines. This group contains some of the most primitive to be found in Australia now. That is, it contains many of those least affected by western influences and may thereby give some indication of psychiatric disorders pertaining among these people at a time when they were nomadic—now there are virtually no fully nomadic aborigines left. The survey was conducted in a similar manner to two other surveys among similar people and conclusions have been drawn from a population of 2360 people. The prevalence of psychiatric illness appears to be somewhat lower than that found in western communities, however the types of illness, with certain exceptions, are similar. We have found cases of dementia, schizophrenia, puerperal psychosis, depression, hysterical states, personality disorders, organic brain syndromes, mental deficiency and childhood behavioural disorders. There are negative findings which could be of relevance: we have found only one case of overt anxiety and this was in a very westernized individual. No cases of suicide or homosexuality have been found among tribal aborigines although these two forms of behaviour have been found among aborigines who have lost a great part of their indigenous culture. A possible explanation for these negative findings in terms of cultural differences is discussed.