Tag Archive for: Mental and Behavioral Health

Discriminatory Distress, HIV Risk Behavior, and Community Participation among American Indian / Alaska Native Men Who Have Sex with Men

/in , , /by

Authors: Matthew A. Town, Karina L. Walters, E. Roberto Orellana

Publication Year: 2021

Last Updated:

Journal: Ethnicity and Health

Keywords: Health Disparities; HIV/AIDS; LGBTQ/2S; Mental and Behavioral Health; Minority Groups; Race; Sexuality; Men Having Sex With Men (MSM); Discriminatory Distress; Risk Behavior

 

Short Abstract: Research regarding men who have sex with men (MSM) indicates that exposure to discrimination based on race and sexuality are positively associated with increased incidence of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI).

 

Abstract: Research regarding men who have sex with men (MSM) indicates that exposure to discrimination based on race and sexuality are positively associated with increased incidence of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). In an effort to better understand this association, we assessed the associations of discriminatory distress with UAI among a sample of 183 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) MSM using survey data drawn from the HONOR Project. The HONOR Project examined the relationship between trauma, coping, and health behaviors among Two-Spirits (a contemporary name for gender and sexual minorities among American Indian and Alaska Native people). Using multivariable logistic regression techniques, our analysis showed participants reporting higher mean levels of distress from two-spirit discrimination had higher odds of reporting UAI (OR = 1.99, 95% CI, 1.19–3.32) compared to those reporting lower levels of distress. This analysis also showed lower odds of engaging in UAI among participants reporting higher levels of participation in LGBT specific online forums (OR = 0.86, CI = 0.75, 0.99; p < .05) and attending Two-Spirit events (OR = 0.82, CI = 0.71, 0.94; p < .01). Future prevention research and program designs should address the differential impact of discrimination and community participation on sexual behavior specifically among AI/AN MSM.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Funding:

Code:

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6581640/

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

Incorporating Traditional Healing Into an Urban American Indian Health Organization: A Case Study of Community Member Perspectives

/in , /by

Authors: William E. Hartmann and Joseph P. Gone

Publication Year: 2012

Last Updated: October 2012

Journal: Journal of Counseling Psychology

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Health Disparities; Mental and Behavioral Health; Qualitative Content Analysis; Community-Based Research

 

Short Abstract: Facing severe mental health disparities rooted in a complex history of cultural oppression, members of many urban American Indian (AI) communities are reaching out for indigenous traditional healing to augment their use of standard Western mental health services. Because detailed descriptions of approaches for making traditional healing available for urban AI communities do not exist in the literature, this community-based project convened 4 focus groups consisting of 26 members of a midwestern urban AI community to better understand traditional healing practices of interest and how they might be integrated into the mental health and substance abuse treatment services in an Urban Indian Health Organization (UIHO).

 

Abstract: Facing severe mental health disparities rooted in a complex history of cultural oppression, members of many urban American Indian (AI) communities are reaching out for indigenous traditional healing to augment their use of standard Western mental health services. Because detailed descriptions of approaches for making traditional healing available for urban AI communities do not exist in the literature, this community-based project convened 4 focus groups consisting of 26 members of a midwestern urban AI community to better understand traditional healing practices of interest and how they might be integrated into the mental health and substance abuse treatment services in an Urban Indian Health Organization (UIHO). Qualitative content analysis of focus group transcripts revealed that ceremonial participation, traditional education, culture keepers, and community cohesion were thought to be key components of a successful traditional healing program. Potential incorporation of these components into an urban environment, however, yielded 4 marked tensions: traditional healing protocols versus the realities of impoverished urban living, multitribal representation in traditional healing services versus relational consistency with the culture keepers who would provide them, enthusiasm for traditional healing versus uncertainty about who is trustworthy, and the integrity of traditional healing versus the appeal of alternative medicine. Although these tensions would likely arise in most urban AI clinical contexts, the way in which each is resolved will likely depend on tailored community needs, conditions, and mental health objectives.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621761/

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

The Sweat Lodge Ceremony: A Healing Intervention for Intergenerational Trauma and Substance Use

/in /by

Authors: Teresa Naseba Marsh, David C. Marsh, Julie Ozawagosh, Frank Ozawagosh

Publication Year: 2018

Last Updated:

Journal: The International Indigenous Policy Journal

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Mental and Behavioral Health

 

Short Abstract: Many traditional healers and Elders agree that strengthening cultural identity, incorporating traditional healing practices, and encouraging community integration can enhance and improve mental health and reduce substance use disorders (SUD) in Indigenous populations.

 

Abstract: Many traditional healers and Elders agree that strengthening cultural identity, incorporating traditional healing practices, and encouraging community integration can enhance and improve mental health and reduce substance use disorders (SUD) in Indigenous populations. Despite the fact that traditional healing practices have always been valued by Indigenous Peoples, there is very little research on efficacy. Recent research by one of the authors in this group (T. Marsh) has shown that the blending of Indigenous traditional healing practices and a Western treatment model, Seeking Safety, resulted in a reduction in intergenerational trauma (IGT) symptoms and substance use disorders (SUD). This article focuses on the qualitative evidence concerning the impact of the traditional healing practices, specifically the sweat lodge ceremony. Participants reported an increase in spiritual and emotional well-being that they said was directly attributable to the ceremony. This study demonstrates that it would be beneficial to incorporate Indigenous traditional healing practices, including the sweat lodge ceremony, into Seeking Safety to enhance the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples with IGT and SUD.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Funding:

Code:

Source: https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/iipj/article/view/7544/6188

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

The Culture Is Prevention Project: Measuring Culture as a Social Determinant of Mental Health for Native/Indigenous Peoples

/in , , /by

Authors: Paul Masotti, John Dennem, Shir Hadani, et al.

Publication Year: 2020

Last Updated:

Journal: American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Mental and Behavioral Health; Identity; Spirituality; Traditions

 

Short Abstract: This paper reports Phase 4 of the Culture is Prevention Project where we validated the Cultural Connectedness Scale – California (CCSCA) with a sample of 344 Indigenous adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. In Phase 3 of this project, the CCS-CA was modified from the original Canadian Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS) developed by Dr. Angela Snowshoe and colleagues to be a better fit for the more multi-tribal communities in urban California.

 

Abstract: This paper reports Phase 4 of the Culture is Prevention Project where we validated the Cultural Connectedness Scale – California (CCSCA) with a sample of 344 Indigenous adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. In Phase 3 of this project, the CCS-CA was modified from the original Canadian Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS) developed by Dr. Angela Snowshoe and colleagues to be a better fit for the more multi-tribal communities in urban California. Both the CCS-CA and CCS consist of 29 items that measure culture on 3 sub-scales: identity, traditions, and spirituality. The project demonstrated a positive link between cultural connectedness and mental health/well-being using the Herth Hope Index. We report results similar to the original CCS study by Snowshoe et al., where we found the CCS-CA to be a valid and reliable strength-based instrument and to support the conclusion that culture is a social determinant of mental health/well-being for Indigenous/Native peoples in urban areas. Note: This study included indigenous individuals from tribes based in Latin America and Canada as well as the United States.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Funding:

Code:

Source: https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu/docs/librariesprovider205/journal_files/vol27/27_1_2020_86_masotti.pdf?sfvrsn=6fee0b9_2

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

American Indian Historical Trauma: Anti-Colonial Prescriptions for Healing, Resilience, and Survivance

/in , , /by

Authors: William E. Hartmann et al.

Publication Year: 2019

Last Updated:

Journal: American Psychologist

Keywords: Ethnicity; Minority Groups; Psychology; Historical Trauma; Colonization; Wellness; Indigeneity

 

Short Abstract: The American Indian historical trauma (HT) concept is an important precursor to racial trauma (RT) theory that reflects the distinct interests of sovereign Indigenous nations but shares much of the same promise and challenge. Here, that promise and challenge is explored by tracing HT’s theoretical development in terms of its anti-colonial ambitions and organizing ideas.

 

Abstract: The American Indian historical trauma (HT) concept is an important precursor to racial trauma (RT) theory that reflects the distinct interests of sovereign Indigenous nations but shares much of the same promise and challenge. Here, that promise and challenge is explored by tracing HT’s theoretical development in terms of its anti-colonial ambitions and organizing ideas. Three predominant modes of engaging HT were distilled form the literature (HT as a clinical condition, life stressor, and critical discourse), each informing a research program pursuing a different anti-colonial ambition (healing trauma, promoting resilience, practicing survivance) organized by distinct ideas about colonization, wellness, and Indigeneity. Through critical reflection on these different ambitions and dialogue of their organizing ideas, conflict between research programs can be mitigated and a more productive anti-colonialism realized in psychology and related health fields. Key recommendations emphasized clarifying clinical concepts (e.g., clinical syndrome vs. idiom of distress), disentangling clinical narratives of individual pathology (e.g., trauma) from social narratives of population adversity (e.g., survivance stories), attending to features of settler-colonialism not easily captured by heath indices (e.g., structural violence), and encouraging alignment of anti-colonial efforts with constructive critiques establishing conceptual bridges to disciplines that can help to advance psychological understandings of colonization and Indigenous wellness (e.g., postcolonial studies). This conceptual framework was applied to the RT literature to elaborate similar recommendations for advancing RT theory and the interests of ethnic/racial minority populations through engagement with psychology and related health fields.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Funding:

Code:

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6338218/

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

A Community-Based Evaluation of a Culturally Grounded, American Indian After-School Prevention Program: The Value of Practitioner-Researcher Collaboration

/in , , /by

Authors: Brooke de Heer, Jade K. Heffern, Julianna S. Cheney, et al.

Publication Year: 2020

Last Updated:

Journal:

Keywords: Cultural Sensitivity and Appropriateness; Data Collection; Health Disparities; Mental and Behavioral Health; Suicide and Suicide Prevention

 

Short Abstract: Programs serving American Indian (AI) youth are an important component of maintaining cultural identity and healthy lifestyles. The current research took a community-engaged approach to evaluate an urban AI youth after-school program that has transitioned into a culturally grounded prevention program.

 

Abstract: Programs serving American Indian (AI) youth are an important component of maintaining cultural identity and healthy lifestyles. The current research took a community-engaged approach to evaluate an urban AI youth after-school program that has transitioned into a culturally grounded prevention program. Ways to create a successful research collaboration between AI communities and academics is discussed as well as implications for understanding the importance of culturally-grounded programs for AI youth who reside in urban areas. Overall, the cultural and health components that are integrated into the after-school program were highlighted as primary strengths because they help foster a healthy lifestyle and deeper connection to the heritage/culture for the youth who participated.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Funding:

Code:

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7521773/

Type of Resource: Other

Prevention in Our Native Communities Vol 3 Issue 1 Fall 2022

/in , /by

Authors: National American Indian and Alaska Native Prevention technology transfer center (PTTC) network

Publication Year: 2022

Last Updated: November 5, 2022

Keywords: Minority Groups; Suicide and Suicide Prevention; Social Determinants of Health

 

Short Abstract: This issue focuses on the negative impact stigma has on Natives in the early phases of the development of a substance use disorder. People in this situation could profit from early intervention but may feel embarrassed because of the stigma associated with substance use/abuse. The main article describes ways to ensure that culturally appropriate prevention efforts are both trauma-informed and non-stigmatizing.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://pttcnetwork.org/centers/national-american-indian-alaska-native-pttc/product/prevention-our-native-communities-vol-3

Type of Resource: Best Practices Newsletter

Social Determinants of Mortality of COVID-19 and Opioid Overdose in American Rural and Urban Counties

/in , , /by

Authors: Yuhui Zhu, PhD, Zhe Fei, PhD, Larissa J. Mooney, MD, Kaitlyn Huang, BS, and Yih-Ing Hser, PhD

Publication Year: 2022

Last Updated: January 2022

Journal: Journal of Addiction Medicine

Keywords: Covid-19; Health Disparities; Infection Disease; Social Determinants of Health; Substance Abuse

 

Short Abstract: After adjusting for other covariates, the overall mortality rate of COVID-19 is higher in counties with larger population size and a higher proportion of racial/ethnic minorities, although counties with high rates of opioid overdose mortality have lower proportions of racial/ethnic minorities, a higher proportion of females, and are more economically disadvantaged. Significant predictors of rural counties with high mortality rates for both COVID-19 and opioid overdose include higher ratios of Black people, American Indians and Alaska Native people, and people with two or more races. Additional predictors for high-risk urban counties include population density and higher unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8815643/pdf/adm-16-e52.pdf

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article

US Trans Survey 2015, Report on the Experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native Respondents.

/in , , , /by

Authors: The National Center for Transgender Equality

Publication Year: 2016

Keywords: Awareness; Health Care Access; Health Disparities; Injury and Trauma; Mental and Behavioral Health; Minority Groups; Population Information; Presentations; Socio-Economic Disparities; Sexual Abuse; Suicide and Suicide Prevention; Violence; Social Determinants of Health; Gender Identity; LGBTQ/2S

 

Short Abstract: The 2015 US Trans Survey is a survey of trans and non-binary people across the country. This includes a separate report specifically on the American Indian and Alaskan Native respondents.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-AIAN-Report-Dec17.pdf

Type of Resource: Other

Suicides Among American Indian or Alaska Native Persons — National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2015–2020

/in , , /by

Authors: Deborah Stone, Eva Trinh, Hong Zhou, Laura Welder, Pamela End of Horn, Katherine Fowler, and Asha Ivey-Stephenson

Publication Year: 2022

Last Updated: September 16, 2022

Journal: CDC: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

Keywords: Injury and Trauma; Mental and Behavioral Health; Population Information; Suicide and Suicide Prevention; Violence

 

Short Abstract: A comparison of 2015–2020 suicides among all AI/AN and non-AI/AN decedents in 49 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia found that AI/AN suicide decedents had higher adjusted odds of a range of relationship and alcohol or other substance use problems, and reduced odds of known mental health conditions and treatment than did non-AI/AN suicide decedents. Culturally relevant comprehensive public health approaches to suicide prevention are needed to address systemic and long-standing inequities among AI/AN persons.

 

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7137a1.htm

Type of Resource: Peer-reviewed scientific article