Aboriginal Suicide is Different

Aboriginal Suicide is Different is a study of youth who have, or feel they have, no purpose in life or who may be seeking freedom in death. It is a portrait of life, and of self-destruction, by young Australian Aboriginal men and women. To comprehend this relatively recent phenomenon, one has to appreciate Australian Aboriginal history and the effects of which contribute more to an understanding of suicide today than to psychological or medical theories about the victim. Australian Aboriginal youth at risk are suffering more from social than from mental disorder. Every Australian's birthright includes the expectation of a healthy and happy life of some longevity, assisted by all the services which a civilized society can make possible. But this is not yet within the Australian Aboriginal grasp. That so many young Australian Aboriginal people prefer death to life implies a rejection of what broader society has to offer. It reflects failure to provide sufficient incentives for young Abor