Educate yourself about racism

You can help stop discrimination against First Nations Peoples. 


What is the connection between racism and mental health?

Racial discrimination damages mental health.

Over half of First Nations Peoples who experience racial discrimination report feelings of psychological distress, meaning they can go on to develop anxiety and depression.1  There is also a ‘dose’ effect: the risk of high or very high levels of psychological distress increases as the volume of racism increases.3

Almost one third of First Nations Peoples experience high or very high levels of psychological distress – nearly three times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians.2

Ongoing racism increases psychological distress

In a Victorian study by The Lowitja Institute, 97 per cent of First Nations Peoples surveyed experienced racism multiple times. The study showed this increased their risk of psychological distress. Subtle forms of racial discrimination such as ‘being left out or avoided’ were shown to be just as harmful to mental health as more overt forms.3

Share our Pride

Learn about what life looks like from a First Nations Peoples perspective.

Be on the receiving end of racism

Ever wonder how it feels to be discriminated against? 

Download the Everyday Racism app, from All Together Now, where you can choose a character to follow for the next seven days, giving you the power to make decisions on different scenarios people face in everyday life. You may gain a different perspective walking in someone else’s shoes.

Close the Gap

First Nations Peoples can expect to live 10 to 17 years less than other Australians. Babies born to Indigenous mothers die at more than twice the rate of other Australian babies, and First Nations Peoples experience higher rates of preventable illness such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Visit the Close the Gap website to sign the pledge and demand Indigenous health equality within a generation. 

Connect with your local Reconciliation Council

Connect with your with your state based Reconciliation organisation and find out what is going on in the community by signing up to their newsletters and events.

Note: ACT, TAS and NT do not have state based organisations.

'Who We Are' documentaries

‘Who We Are’ is a series produced in partnership with Foxtel and Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association featuring six exceptional young First Nations Peoples who share stories about their communities, history and culture. 

Talk to others

It’s important to be able to talk to others about racism.

1. For a full list of references for the statistics on this page, and any others across the website, please visit the references page and search through the relevant category.