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Film addresses health crisis in communities

June 20, 2025

Leading Australian Aboriginal voices, creatives and mental health professionals have come together to launch an awareness initiative focused on the staggering rate of suicide in First Nation communities.

A short film, titled Change Direction, directed by filmmaker Warwick Thornton, with support from advertising agency Apparent and production company Photoplay, explores the role culture can play in reversing the crisis.

The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health, founded by psychologist Dr. Tracy Westerman (Nyamal), partnered with Aboriginal creative talent including Thornton (Kaytetye), poet Dakota Feirer (Bundjalung-Gumbaynggirr), actor Pedrea Jackson (Jingili-Mudburra-Waramungu) and songman Fred Leone (Butchulla), to develop a campaign aimed at the hearts and minds of all Australians.

“The broken mental health system in this country has been built by the privileged; to favour the healing methods of the most privileged, but delivers its services to the least privileged of us,” Dr. Westerman said.

“It’s time to rebuild it from the ground up, with Aboriginal excellence leading the way.”

The campaign, led by the short film, aims to change the direction of Aboriginal mental health by pointing to Jilya’s solution: more Aboriginal psychologists to improve screening and suicide prevention within Aboriginal communities. The Institute funds scholarships for Indigenous people in high-risk communities to become psychologists in places that desperately need them, with a vision to ‘build an army’ of Indigenous psychologists.

Beyond raising awareness, the campaign will seek donations to help fund the scholarships at ChangeDirection.com.au.

Hamish Stewart, CCO at Apparent, said: “Our team is committed to doing something to help address an issue that has been overlooked for too long, but are equally conscious it’s not our story to tell.

“We’re grateful to every member of the community who understood the intention, embraced the project, brought their artistry to it and truly made it their own.”

Jackson Long, Apparent’s Creative Director said Australia was used to hearing from non-Aborignal people about all the negative and failed ways to ‘fix’ Aboriginal issues.

“This initiative encourages Australians to listen and respond to Aboriginal voices about Aboriginal issues,” he said.

Research from the Jilya Institute shows that one in four Indigenous youth who have presented for mental health services have attempted suicide, while 42 percent have had suicidal thoughts.

The suicide rate among Aborignal adults has risen 30 per cent in the past five years to an all time high — more than double that of non-Aboriginal Australians.

 

 

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