title: Bundap Marram Durn Durn: Engagement with Aboriginal women experiencing comorbid chronic physical and mental health conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore antecedents of health service engagement and experience among urban Aboriginal people with comorbid physical and mental health conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups and interviews were conducted with Aboriginal people who had comorbid health conditions and were accessing Aboriginal and/or mainstream services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen participants, all women, were recruited. Participants' personal histories and prior experience of health services affected effective service utilisation. Participants' service experiences were characterised by long waiting times in the public health system and high healthcare staff turnover. Trusted professionals were able to act as brokers to other clinically and culturally competent practitioners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many urban Aboriginal women attended health services with multiple comorbid conditions including chronic disease and mental health issues. Several barriers and enablers were identified concerning the capacity of services to engage and effectively manage Aboriginal patients' conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate the need to explore strategies to improve health care utilisation by urban Aboriginal women.
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.|Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, Victoria.
authors.forename: Karmen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jobling
authors.affiliation: General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, Victoria.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.
authors.forename: Rosemary O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Marian U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Worcester
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.|Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Lynnell
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angus
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.|Centre on Behavioural Health, University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Alun C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Heart Research Centre, Victoria.
authors.forename: Barbara M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D015897:Comorbidity; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Indigenous women; chronic physical conditions; co-morbidities; mental health; urban