Multicultural
Emotional distress, mental illness, and suicide can affect anyone regardless of language, place of birth, religion or culture.
Australia is a unique, rich and diverse society that is made up of a range of cultures, backgrounds, religions and ethnicities and it is these experiences that make our society what it is today. At Lifeline, we believe that every person deserves to live in an inclusive, just and equal society that respects and promotes individuality, dignity and diversity and supports people to live a meaningful, rich and fulfilling life.
For many Australians however, experiences of discrimination, isolation or additional challenges due to their cultural background, ethnicity, religion or beliefs are prevalent and these experiences may have an impact on individual, family and community mental health and wellbeing.
Experiences and signs that you may need support include:
- Feeling lonely or isolated
- Having feelings of shame or hopelessness
- Loss of appetite or inability to sleep
- Change in behaviour such as increased use of alcohol or other drugs, irritability or withdrawal from social occasions
- Experiences of discrimination or abuse
If you, or someone you care for is experiencing distress, please call Lifeline to speak to a trained Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14 (24 hours / 7 days) or text Lifeline on 0477 13 11 14 (6pm-midnight AEST, 7 nights). We are here to listen. Translation services are available.
Support services and resources
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (the Embrace Project) is run by Mental Health Australia and provides a national focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. It provides a national platform for Australian mental health services and multicultural communities to access resources, services and information in a culturally accessible format.
Transcultural Mental Health Centre
The Transcultural Mental Health Centre provide state based support in NSW which has produced a variety of resources about wellbeing and mental health available for all to download in a wide range of community languages.