The challenges faced by newly resettled refugees in Australia, particularly those from Sub-Sahara Africa, in accessing and utilisation of Australia’s mental health services is enormous. Evidence suggests that this group of refugees often find the Australian mental health services an unfamiliar and complex web to untangle, from cultural to complete ignorance about their rights to access these services. A vast amount of research suggests that culture plays a significant role in the mental health treatment outcome for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In this presentation Dr Sheikh will explore some of these challenges and the trans-cultural aspects in working with refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa. The speaker will also traverse the issues and challenges this cohort face in accessing Australia’s mental health care services, with some highlights of a few case reports obtained locally and internationally. He will also suggest some recommended approaches for mental health workers that would help them work effectively with clients from these communities.
