The head of a First Nations crisis support service has urged Indigenous people to keep welfare tabs on each other after an influx of abuse was reported in the lead-up to the Voice to Parliament referendum.
13YARN national program manager, Aunty Marj Anderson, said the Voice debate was having widespread impact on Indigenous people's mental health and appealed for a more respectful debate ahead of the October 14 referendum.
She has urged people to check on one another after the 13YARN crisis helpline reported a record number of calls from people experiencing racism and abuse online.
"We all need to be taking care of each other in the community," Ms Anderson told the ABC.
"If you see someone being sad in the community, go up and say 'you right or what? How can I help you?"
The crisis support service was established in March 2022 by the former Coalition government to provide 24/7 help to First Nations people in distress.
Lifeline, the provider of 13YARN, said data from the service showed the increase in reported abuse or trauma coincided with the start of the Voice referendum proposal.
13YARN counsellors were expected to field about 40 to 60 cases per day, but the service recently reported a 108 per cent increase in calls, with 7573 taken from October to December last year.
Over the past six weeks, almost 3500 calls for help were fielded, with 639 taken last week alone and 661 in August, the highest number 13YARN has received in a single week.
"We had 173 calls the other day," Ms Anderson said.
"So, it's well beyond what our modelling said that we were going to get."
The National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation recently flagged concerns for the wellbeing for First Nations people in the lead-up to the referendum.
NACCHCO has since launched an online portal with links to culturally-safe support services.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were in unison at their dismay over abusive behaviour the debate had sparked.
"I condemn nasty behaviour wherever it occurs. We need to have a respectful debate," Mr Albanese said in Melbourne this week.
Mr Dutton said people should contribute to the debate but do it "respectfully".
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, First Nations people are twice as likely to take their own lives than non-Indigenous people.
The latest ABS data from 2021 shows suicide (29.7%) was the leading cause of death for First Nations children.
In 2021, 29.6 was the median age at death as a result of suicide for Indigenous people, compared with 44.8 for those who belonged to the non-Indigenous population.
Indigenous Australians can seek assistance by calling 13YARN on 13 92 76 (24 hours/7 days) to talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support worker.
Mental health support is also available through ACCHO, AMS, GP, or Social and Emotional Wellbeing services.
More information and links are available on the HealthInfoNet website.
