MR Hon Peter Dutton MPMinister for HealthAustralian Government Department of HealthSirius Building, Furzer Street, Woden Town CentreCanberra ACT 2601, AustraliaDear Mr Dutton: Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. As a nursing student at the University of Technology Sydney, I have been studying contemporary Indigenous subjects this semester. In this letter I want to outline 3 major social determinants of health that impact the health of Indigenous Australians that I found and analyzed during my recent study. And also offer some suggestions that could help the government improve the mental health conditions of Aboriginal Australians in the future. Since post-invasion colonialism, Australia's indigenous people have experienced a great deal of identity loss, loss, powerlessness, cultural alienation, grief. The mental and physical health of many indigenous peoples is compromised. Rates of suicide, family violence, drug abuse and unemployment are higher than the Australian average (Berry et al. 2012). Contributing to the development and support of sustainable mental health and social well-being for Aboriginal Australians living in rural areas is complicated, given the great diversity involved in and between individuals and communities (Guerin & Guerin 2012). There are some social determinants that contribute to the development of mental disorders in indigenous peoples. The incidence of addiction to mental health disorders and substance abuse problems is terribly high. Aboriginal Australians suffer from unemployment and this can result in substance abuse, anxiety, depression and sometimes serious mental health conditions. The risks of social isolation are increased with the development of social exclusion and distress, such as addiction, divorce, disability, s...... middle of paper ......eating", International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction , vol . 10, no. 6, pp. 970-83.Calma, T. & Dudgeon, P. 2013, The mental health gap must be addressed, .Cunningham, J. & Paradies, YC 2013, ' Patterns and correlates of self-reported racial discrimination among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, 2008-2009: analysis of national survey data, International Journal for Equity in Health, vol 12, no. 47-61.Guerin, B. & Guerin, P. 2012, 'Rethinking mental health for Australian Indigenous communities: community as a context for mental health', Community Development Journal, vol. 47, no -70.Wilkinson, RG & Marmot, MG 2003, Social determinants of health: the hard facts, World Health Organization.