Rates of imprisonment, suicide and self-harm continue to rise among indigenous Australians, a government report has found.
The Productivity Commission, the government's research and advisory body, on Thursday published the latest Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) report.
The report, which is the comprehensive analysis of data relating to the welfare of indigenous Australians, found that four years on from the previous report, there were improvement in areas of early child development, economic participation and some aspects of health and education.
"But areas such as justice and mental health remain concerning, with increases in the rates of imprisonment, suicide and self-harm," said the media release on Thursday.
The report found that the adult imprisonment rate increased by 72 percent between 2000 and 2019, and whilst the youth detention rate has fallen, young indigenous people remain 22 times more likely to be jailed than their non-indigenous peers.
The rate of deaths from suicide and self-harm for adults increased by 40 percent between 2008 and 2018 and the rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care have almost tripled since 2004.
The report identified "policies, laws and practices that appear neutral, operate in an uneven or unfair manner that is detrimental to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
"Poorer outcomes are not due to people being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, but can be attributed to the additional personal challenges and structural barriers faced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Michael Brennan, the chair of the Productivity Commission, said.
"Removing these structural barriers is critical if the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is to improve."
According to the report, shared decision-making is a common element in approaches that appear successful in improving outcomes.
