Tag Archive for: Mental and Behavioral Health

Psychotherapy With American Indians: An Exploration of Therapist-Rated Techniques in Three Urban Clinics

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Authors: Mark Beitel et al.

Publication Year: 2018

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Journal: Psychotherapy

Keywords: Mental and Behavioral Health; Psychotherapy;

 

Short Abstract: The aim of the project was to conduct psychotherapy research in American Indian mental health clinics.

 

Abstract: The aim of the project was to conduct psychotherapy research in American Indian mental health clinics. To date, very little psychotherapy research has been conducted in this area. We report the findings from a multisite investigation of psychotherapy techniques used with American Indians. Psychotherapists, working in three American Indian clinics, were asked to self-report the therapeutic interventions that they used in sessions with 93 separate adult American Indian outpatients. Each therapist rated each client exactly once, and thus data on 93 sessions were collected. Therapists’ self-reported technique use with the Multitheoretical List of Therapist Interventions (McCarthy & Barber, 2009). Ratings were made immediately following the delivery of a session. The common factors approach was the most reported approach, followed by person-centered and interpersonal approaches. However, the therapists reported using techniques from all of the main therapeutic approaches. Technique use was affected by client- (demographic and diagnostic), therapist-, and therapy-related variables. This project represents a promising start to systematic psychotherapy research in busy, urban American Indian clinics. Many psychotherapeutic techniques are utilized, and there are many avenues for future research. A replication with client and observer ratings will be an important next step.

 

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Source: http://gonetowar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AI-Therapy-Techniques.pdf

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Suffering like a Broken Toy: Social, Psychological, and Cultural Impacts for Urban American Indians with Chronic Pain

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Authors: Elise AG Duwe

Publication Year: 2019

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Journal: International Journal of Indigenous Health

Keywords: Chronic Pain; Illness Experience; Invisibility; Psychological Peace; Warrior Strength

 

Short Abstract: This paper will explore the difficult conversations and places of tension in the lived experience of chronic pain for urban American Indians from a larger study discerning relationships between chronic pain and colonization.

 

Abstract: This paper will explore the difficult conversations and places of tension in the lived experience of chronic pain for urban American Indians from a larger study discerning relationships between chronic pain and colonization. A concurrent transformative mixed methods design with in-depth interviews and a survey was used for the larger study. This paper concerns only the qualitative data. Forty self-identified American Indian adults living in Indiana, Chicago, and Tulsa who reported pain for greater than three months provided their chronic pain illness experiences for this paper. The paper uses three data-derived themes to encompass the broad reaching social, psychological, and cultural suffering inherent in coping with chronic pain: invisibility, psychological peace, and warrior strength. American Indian chronic pain sufferers in this study struggle with the multiplicative invisibility of both their chronic pain and their native identity. The invisibility leads to passing as white in environments hostile to people of color. It also results in family disconnection, loneliness, and isolation. In order to survive socially-mediated assaults, American Indian chronic pain sufferers keep their psyche at peace through stress management, cultural engagement, and non-negativity. They also call upon warrior strength—their understanding that American Indians as peoples have always survived bolsters their individual strength to push through the pain. They seek to function without further debility and to maintain their economic, spiritual, social, and physical wellness. Ultimately the participants in this research tell a profound, critical, and world-changing story that requires attention in overcoming barriers to full thriving with chronic pain.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijih/article/view/31707/25292

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Integrating Professional and Indigenous Therapies: An Urban American Indian Narrative Clinical Case Study

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Authors: Dennis C. Wendt and Joseph P. Gone

Publication Year: 2016

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Journal: Counseling Psychology

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Ethnicity; Mental and Behavioral Health; Race; Psychotherapy; Spirituality; Religion; Qualitative; Multiculturalism

 

Short Abstract: We present a narrative case study of an urban American Indian male college student who integrated Indigenous and professional therapies during an acute period of stress, loss, and depression.

 

Abstract: We present a narrative case study of an urban American Indian male college student who integrated Indigenous and professional therapies during an acute period of stress, loss, and depression. The first published case of an American Indian in an urban context, this article expands on previous clinical cases by focusing on the perspective of the client relative to his own conceptions of help-seeking behaviors. Based on qualitative analysis of five audio-recorded interviews, this case utilizes an innovative methodology to portray four approaches to healing (medication, counseling, bonding, and spirituality), which contribute to holistic well-being. Implications for counseling psychologists include being aware of how some American Indian clients may (a) view professional treatment dynamics through a Native cultural lens (e.g., seeing ideal communication as a “rhythm”); (b) utilize an expanded range of therapeutic agents; (c) resist medication for cultural and spiritual reasons; and (d) refrain from discussing spiritual matters with professionals.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5007066/

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Urban American Indian Community Perspectives on Resources and Challenges for Youth Suicide Prevention

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Authors: Rachel L. Burrage, Joseph P. Gone, and Sandra L. Momper

Publication Year: 2016

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Journal: American Journal of Community Psychology

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Mental and Behavioral Health; Suicide and Suicide Prevention; Youth; Prevention; Informal Supports

 

Short Abstract: American Indian (AI) youth have some of the highest rates of suicide of any group in the United States, and the majority of AI youth live in urban areas away from tribal communities. As such, understanding the resources available for suicide prevention among urban AI youth is critical, as is understanding the challenges involved in accessing such resources.

 

Abstract: American Indian (AI) youth have some of the highest rates of suicide of any group in the United States, and the majority of AI youth live in urban areas away from tribal communities. As such, understanding the resources available for suicide prevention among urban AI youth is critical, as is understanding the challenges involved in accessing such resources. Pre-existing interview data from 15 self-identified AI community members and staff from an Urban Indian Health Organization were examined to understand existing resources for urban AI youth suicide prevention, as well as related challenges. A thematic analysis was undertaken, resulting in three principal themes around suicide prevention: formal resources, informal resources, and community values and beliefs. Formal resources that meet the needs of AI youth were viewed as largely inaccessible or nonexistent, and youth were seen as more likely to seek help from informal sources. Community values of mutual support were thought to reinforce available informal supports. However, challenges arose in terms of the community’s knowledge of and views on discussing suicide, as well as the perceived fit between community values and beliefs and formal prevention models.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/134173/ajcp12080.pdf?sequence=1

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Mental health, family functioning, and sleep in cultural context among American Indian/Alaska Native urban youth: A mixed methods analysis

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Authors: Alina I. Palimaru

Publication Year: 2022

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Journal: Social Science & Medicine

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Mental and Behavioral Health; Socio-Economic Disparities; Family; Youth; Sleep; Actigraphy; Mixed Methods

 

Short Abstract: Mental health problems contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Driven in part by family stressors and insufficient sleep, mental health disproportionately affects low SES urban adolescents. In the United States, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit excessively high rates of mental health problems. Family functioning is strongly associated with adolescent mental health, and sleep problems may serve as a pathway between family functioning and mental health. Using mixed methods we examine the associations among family functioning, subjective- and actigraphy-measured sleep, mental health (depressive and anxiety symptoms), and cultural identity in a sample of urban AI/AN youth.

 

Abstract: Mental health problems contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Driven in part by family stressors and insufficient sleep, mental health disproportionately affects low SES urban adolescents. In the United States, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit excessively high rates of mental health problems. Family functioning is strongly associated with adolescent mental health, and sleep problems may serve as a pathway between family functioning and mental health. Using mixed methods we examine the associations among family functioning, subjective- and actigraphy-measured sleep, mental health (depressive and anxiety symptoms), and cultural identity in a sample of urban AI/AN youth. All participants (N = 142) completed surveys; a random subsample (n = 26) completed qualitative interviews to assess family and cultural dynamics related to sleep, which informed hypothesized direct and indirect effects that were tested using survey data. Narratives identified mechanisms of family cohesion (e.g., daily interactions that build perceived family togetherness and family-centered traditional activities) and the role that family cohesion plays in sleep (e.g., ensuring stability of sleep environments). Path analysis showed direct effects of improved family functioning on fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms, and indirect effects through lower self-reported sleep disturbance (but not through greater actigraphy-measured sleep duration or efficiency). Cultural identity did not moderate effects in quantitative tests. Our findings illustrate the complex associations among family functioning, sleep, and mental health in AI/ AN youth. Family-based interventions to improve adolescent mental health should address modifiable inter-vention targets such as sleep, and address sources of both risk and resilience relevant to urban AI/AN families, including extended family and cultural practices.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S027795362100914X?token=483DC46A40790C32DB219B0D6C39C8328FC4937C9148E279B054798719CEB15FC24716A71D9D2CBA692237E258E06B75&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20230213210922

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

A Gathering of Native American Healers: Exploring the Interface of Indigenous Tradition and Professional Practice

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Authors: Virgil D. Moorehead Jr., Joseph P. Gone, Damia December

Publication Year: 2015

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Journal: American Journal of Community Psychology

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Mental and Behavioral Health; Psychology; Traditional Healing; Multicultural Counseling; Alternative Medicine

 

Short Abstract: This article reports insights from a 4-day Gathering of Native American Healers at the University of Michigan in October of 2010.

 

Abstract: This article reports insights from a 4-day Gathering of Native American Healers at the University of Michigan in October of 2010. This event convened 18 traditional healers, clinically trained service providers, and cross-cultural mental health researchers for a structured group dialogue to advance professional knowledge about the integration of Indigenous healing practices and conventional mental health treatments in community-based mental health services for Native Americans. Our thematic analysis of transcripts from five Roundtable sessions afforded several key insights and understandings pertaining to the integration of Indigenous healing and conventional mental health services. First, with reference to traditional healing, the importance of a rampant relationality, various personal qualities, Indigenous spirituality, and maintenance of traditional life and culture were accentuated by Roundtable participants. Second, for traditional healers to practice effectively, Roundtable participants posited that these individuals must maintain personal wellness, cultivate profound knowledge of healing practices, recognize the intrinsic healing potential within all human beings, and work for the community rather than themselves. In speaking to the possibilities and challenges of collaboration between Indigenous and conventional biomedical therapeutic approaches, Roundtable participants recommended the implementation of cultural programming, the observance of mutuality and respect, the importance of clear and honest communication, and the need for awareness of cultural differences as unique challenges that must be collaboratively overcome.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: http://gonetowar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Healers-Gathering.pdf

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Geographical Access and the Substitution of Traditional Healing for Biomedical Services in 2 American Indian Tribes

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Authors: John C. Fortney, Carol E. Kaufman, David E. Pollio, et al.

Publication Year: 2012

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Journal: Medical Care

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Health Care Access; Health Disparities; Mental and Behavioral Health; Social Determinants of Health; Geographic Accessibility; Traditional Healing

 

Short Abstract: Objectives: American Indians who live in rural reservation communities face substantial geographic barriers to care that may limit their use of health services and contribute to their well-documented health disparities.

 

Abstract: Objectives: American Indians who live in rural reservation communities face substantial geographic barriers to care that may limit their use of health services and contribute to their well-documented health disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of geographical access to care on the use of services for physical and mental health problems and to explore American Indians' use of traditional healing services in relation to use of biomedical services. Methods: We analyzed survey data collected from 2 tribes (Southwest and Northern Plains). Geographical access to the closest biomedical service was measured using a Geographic Information System, including road travel distance, elevation gain, and reservation boundary crossing. Results: Use of biomedical services was unaffected by geographical access for Northern Plains tribal members with mental health problems and for Southwest tribal members with physical or mental health problems. For members of the Northern Plains tribe with physical health problems, travel distance (P= 0.007) and elevation gain (P= 0.029) significantly predicted a lower likelihood of service use. The use of traditional healing was unrelated to biomedical service use for members of the Northern Plains tribe with physical or mental health problems and for members of the Southwest tribe with physical health problems. For members of the Southwest tribe with mental health problems, the use of biomedical services increased the likelihood of using traditional healing services. Conclusions: Findings suggest that biomedical services are geographically accessible to most tribal members and that tribal members are not substituting traditional healing for biomedical treatments because of poor geographical access.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446690/

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Cultural Sources of Strength and Resilience: A Case Study of Holistic Wellness Boxes for COVID-19 Response in Indigenous Communities

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Authors: Kevin M. W. Aulandez et al.

Publication Year: 2021

Last Updated: February 2021

Journal: Frontiers in Sociology

Keywords: Covid-19; Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Health Disparities; Mental and Behavioral Health; Nutrition; Holistic Health; Community-Based Participatory Research; Pandemics

 

Short Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionately severe impacts on Indigenous peoples in the United States compared to non-Indigenous populations. In addition to the threat of viral infection, COVID-19 poses an increased risk for psychosocial stress that may widen already existing physical, mental, and behavioral health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities.

 

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionately severe impacts on Indigenous peoples in the United States compared to non-Indigenous populations. In addition to the threat of viral infection, COVID-19 poses an increased risk for psychosocial stress that may widen already existing physical, mental, and behavioral health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities. In recognition of the impact of COVID-19-related psychosocial stressors on our tribal community partners, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health Great Lakes Hub began sending holistic wellness boxes to our community partners in 11 tribal communities in the Midwestern United States and Canada in the summer of 2020. Designed specifically to draw on culturally relevant sources of strength and resilience, these boxes contained a variety of items to support mental, emotional, cultural, and physical well-being. Feedback from recipients suggests that these wellness boxes provided a unique form of COVID-19 relief. Additional Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health offices have begun to adapt wellness boxes for the cultural context of their regions. This case study describes the conceptualization, creation, and contents of these wellness boxes and orients this intervention within a reflection on foundations of community-based participatory research, holistic relief, and drawing on cultural strengths in responding to COVID-19.

 

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Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2021.612637/full

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Holistic system of care: a ten-year perspective.

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Authors: Ethan Nebelkopf and Serena Wright

Publication Year: 2011

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Journal: Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; HIV/AIDS; Mental and Behavioral Health; Violence; Prevention; Intervention; Recovery

 

Short Abstract: The Holistic System of Care for Native Americans in an Urban Environment is a community-focused intervention that provides behavioral health care, promotes health, and prevents disease.

 

Abstract: The Holistic System of Care for Native Americans in an Urban Environment is a community-focused intervention that provides behavioral health care, promotes health, and prevents disease. This approach is based on a community strategic planning process that honored Native American culture and relationships. Substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, poverty, crime, physical illness, and violence are symptoms of historical trauma, family dysfunction, and spiritual imbalance. The holistic model links treatment, prevention, and recovery. The link between prevention and treatment is early intervention. Peer support is the link between treatment and recovery. Recovering individuals serve as role models linking recovery to prevention. Culture and spirituality build a strong and resilient foundation for recovery. This article documents the effectiveness of the holistic model over a ten-year period that it has been implemented at the Family & Child Guidance Clinic of the Native American Health Center in the San Francisco Bay Area. The holistic model has produced statistically significant reductions in substance abuse among adult Native American women, men, reentry, and homeless populations; reductions in substance abuse among Native American adolescents; reductions in HIV/AIDS high-risk behavior among Native American men, women, and adolescents; and decreases in acting out behavior among Native American severely emotionally disturbed children.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Holistic+system+of+care%3A+a+ten-year+perspective-a0278880917

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

A Collaborative and Trauma-Informed Practice Model for Urban Indian Child Welfare

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Authors: Nancy M. Lucero, Marian Bussey

Publication Year: 2012

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Journal: Child Welfare

Keywords: Childcare; Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Family; Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA); Trauma; Case Management

 

Short Abstract: Preventing the breakup of the American Indian family is the fundamental goal of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). However, few models exist to provide CPS workers and other practitioners with effective and practical strategies to help achieve this goal.

 

Abstract: Preventing the breakup of the American Indian family is the fundamental goal of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). However, few models exist to provide CPS workers and other practitioners with effective and practical strategies to help achieve this goal. This article presents a collaborative and trauma-informed family preservation practice model for Indian Child Welfare services with urban-based American Indian families. The model encompasses both systemic and direct practice efforts that assist families facing multiple challenges in creating a nurturing and more stable family life. System-level interventions improve the cultural responsiveness of providers, encourage partnerships between CPS and community-based providers, and support ICWA compliance. Direct practice interventions, in the form of intensive case management and treatment services, help parents/caregivers become more capable of meeting their own and their children's needs by addressing challenges such as substance abuse, trauma and other mental health challenges, domestic violence, and housing instability. Evaluation of the practice model suggests that it shows promise in preventing out-of-home placement of Native children, while at the same time improving parental capacity, family safety, child well-being, and family environment.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

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Source: https://tribalinformationexchange.org/files/resources/ACollaborativeandTrauma-InformedPracticeModelforUrbanIndianChildWelfare.pdf

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article