Examining the comorbidity of mental health problems and alcohol and other drug use within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: A neglected area

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shown great strength over many generations, despite facing challenges including grief and trauma passed down through families, racism, displacement from their lands, and poorer overall health outcomes compared to other Australians. Because the impacts of colonisation continue today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to experience mental health challenges and to be affected by alcohol or other drug use.

ARH Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipient, Dr Breanne Hobden‘s research aimed to better understand how mental health concerns and alcohol or other drug use occur together. There has been very little work undertaken in this area, so the project carried our several linked studies to help fill the gap.

Study 1 looked at research undertaken globally with Indigenous peoples experiencing co-occurring mental health issues and substance use. Across 94 studies, most of which came from the United States, depressive symptoms and alcohol use were the most commonly examined issues. Research in this area has been slowly increasing over time, but it remains limited.

Study 2 focused on Australian research, for which there were only 11 studies on this topic. Only one study included the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and only one examined support strategies. Across these 11 studies, there were 33 different combinations of mental health and substance use conditions, highlighting how complex these issues can be.

Study 3 used national survey data to understand how common co-occurring conditions are. Research found that one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults experienced both psychological distress and risky alcohol or substance use, while around 4% experienced all three. People with poorer health or who had experienced unfair treatment, such as racism, were more likely to have co-occurring conditions.

Two further studies are still underway to explore diagnosis patterns of co-occurring conditions and the views of clients and staff working within alcohol and other drug services.

Media contact: [email protected]       First published 18th June 2026

Graphic acknowledgement: Freepik.com