Indigenous Australians and their descendants who were forcibly removed under government assimilation policies face considerably greater physical and health challenges, according to a new report. The report, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), was commissioned by the Healing Foundation and builds on data from 2023.
Released on Tuesday, the report highlights the long-term inter-generational impacts of forced removals, a policy adopted by Australian governments until the 1970s under assimilation laws. It is estimated that between 1910 and 1970, at least one in 10 and potentially as many as one in three Indigenous children were removed from their families.
The report, which uses 2022 and 2023 survey data from Stolen Generations members over 50 and their descendants, found that survivors were 2.7 times more likely to have a severe or profound disability than other Indigenous Australians. They were also 1.7 times more likely to have been admitted to hospital in the past 12 months, even after accounting for age, sex, and location.
Compared to non-Indigenous Australians, survivors were six times more likely to have kidney disease, 4.8 times more likely to have a severe or profound disability, and 3.9 times more likely to report high psychological distress. The report also noted that survivors experienced more challenging socioeconomic circumstances, such as difficulty paying for unexpected emergency costs.
Dr Martin Edvardsson, acting head of First Nations health at AIHW, stated that Australia lacks comprehensive data on the experiences and needs of Stolen Generations survivors and their families. He added that understanding these needs will become increasingly challenging as survivors age and are less represented in household surveys.