TY - JOUR
T1 - Looking back, moving forward
T2 - a culture-based framework to promote mental wellbeing in Manitoba First Nations communities
AU - Kyoon-Achan, Grace
AU - Philips-Beck, Wanda
AU - Lavoie, Josée
AU - Eni, Rachel
AU - Sinclair, Stephanie
AU - Avey Kinew, Kathi
AU - Ibrahim, Naser
AU - Katz, Alan
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research [grant number 292821].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2018/10/2
Y1 - 2018/10/2
N2 - In Canada, high rates of anxiety, depression and suicides have resulted in mental health crises in First Nation (FN) communities. To date, Indigenous worldviews and approaches have not been fully heeded in mainstream strategies to address the complexity of living in colonial oppression, despite ongoing crises for decades. We describe perspectives of eight FN communities explaining cultural facilitators of mental wellbeing. The objective is to promote understanding of wellbeing in the context of sociocultural realities of FN communities and elaborate community-based practices. Qualitative methods involved FN partners in study design, implementation and data interpretation processes. Local research assistants collected data in all participating communities. Respondents were purposefully selected, Elders were recommended based on their knowledge of FN cultures and traditional wellness practices and awareness of health and social issues in respective communities. Results challenge specific histories of dispossession and assaults on community, language, identity, Elders, family; traditional healing practices emerged as important in enhancing mental wellbeing among FN. Culturally informed approaches aim to restore balance and harmony as pre-requisite to health. A framework based on the voices of FN in Manitoba is proposed for achieving mental wellbeing by and for FN people as an integral part of primary healthcare.
AB - In Canada, high rates of anxiety, depression and suicides have resulted in mental health crises in First Nation (FN) communities. To date, Indigenous worldviews and approaches have not been fully heeded in mainstream strategies to address the complexity of living in colonial oppression, despite ongoing crises for decades. We describe perspectives of eight FN communities explaining cultural facilitators of mental wellbeing. The objective is to promote understanding of wellbeing in the context of sociocultural realities of FN communities and elaborate community-based practices. Qualitative methods involved FN partners in study design, implementation and data interpretation processes. Local research assistants collected data in all participating communities. Respondents were purposefully selected, Elders were recommended based on their knowledge of FN cultures and traditional wellness practices and awareness of health and social issues in respective communities. Results challenge specific histories of dispossession and assaults on community, language, identity, Elders, family; traditional healing practices emerged as important in enhancing mental wellbeing among FN. Culturally informed approaches aim to restore balance and harmony as pre-requisite to health. A framework based on the voices of FN in Manitoba is proposed for achieving mental wellbeing by and for FN people as an integral part of primary healthcare.
KW - First Nations
KW - Mental wellbeing
KW - community-based care
KW - cultural perspectives
KW - indigenous knowledge
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U2 - 10.1080/17542863.2018.1556714
DO - 10.1080/17542863.2018.1556714
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85058846157
SN - 1754-2863
VL - 11
SP - 679
EP - 692
JO - International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
JF - International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
IS - 4
ER -