Allocating funding to train and hire Indigenous mental health workers from the communities was suggested as this could build local capacity and provide cultural support and traditional healing practices to clients while encouraging programs and services to focus on strengths that are already within communities. To address the gaps in mental health services, participants highlighted the importance of attention to access of mental health services or supports for Indigenous peoples. In order to truly have culturally appropriate mental health programs and policies 23, 35, Indigenous communities need to be involved in research and consulted throughout policy-making, and receive adequate funding for mental health services.
- Jin et al. utilised a Gaussian-based 2SFCA method to assess the accessibility to multi-tier health facilities for different income groups in China, using the average housing price (i.e., RMB per square metre) in each kilometre grid as a proxy of income levels when mapping income groups .
- Supportive relationships with family and friends can make you feel cared for, loved, esteemed and valued.
- Participants also described that the justice sector has a role to play, with the suggestion for promoting restorative justice that is more in line with traditional Indigenous views of healing and rehabilitative justice.
- Indigenous health service providers and personnel (Gray et al., 2010; Korn et al., 2009; Tighe et al., 2017), research team and administrative personnel (Tosa et al., 2018; Tsosie et al., 2011), and cultural leaders (Korn et al., 2009; Varcoe et al., 2017) were involved in recruitment.
- The Indigenous suicide prevention service provides priority ATAPS access to Indigenous Australians who have attempted, or are at moderate risk of, suicide, family members and friends of those who have died by suicide and are at risk themselves, and other Indigenous people with mental health problems at risk of suicide or self-harm .
- ‘The main challenge is that in order to build trust in the community as a health provider, you need to be connected to the community, and as a ATAPS provider I can’t do that, so I rely on my established network of other workers and people in the community to make the recommendations to someone to come and see me.’ (MHP08, Female, Mental health professional)
He then discusses the social, historical, and cultural context of his relationship with Allister Bush, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Native community health workers significantly contribute to the wellness of an individual they meet with and the entire community (Gampa et al., 2017). Capacity building within tribal nations is highlighted as a funding priority for the Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2003) and has been emphasized as a strategy to overcome AI/AN mental health inequities (The National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda, 2016). According to The National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda (2016), mental and behavioral health issues necessitate a “communitywide response” with tribal ownership being vital. Examples of trainings and courses that encourage community health worker participation include the summer research institute at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (Oregon Prevention Research Center, 2018) and AI public health courses at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (2018).
The Jewish People and Indigenous Resilience
This study systematically reviews existing peer-reviewed literature on accessibility to mental health services for Indigenous populations, highlighting the methods and considerations employed incorporating and gauging geographical accessibility to mental health services for population sub-groups. Some accessibility studies discussed strategies to enhance access to mainstream mental health services for Indigenous people but did not specify how the services would be funded 17, 44. Secondary mental healthcare providers are psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses, community support workers, social workers, occupational therapists, psychotherapists, and counsellors, who offer services at mental health clinics, counselling centres, hospitals, community https://www.cswe.org/centers-initiatives/minority-fellowship-program/news/march-2020/ mental centres, or specialised treatment centres . Existing studies on the mental healthcare access for Indigenous people lack a geographical dimension and fail to capture potential accessibility, as they rely on service utilisation data. Also, these studies usually emphasised on how mental health services were delivered by providers and did not consider how patients travelled to access health facilities, which could also influence the accessibility for Indigenous people .
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Related, community health workers must navigate a spectrum of diverse traditional cultural, spiritual, or religious beliefs within a single community (Gampa et al., 2017). Further, AI youth reported that the community mental health workers were respectful, knowledgeable, professional, and helpful (Cwik et al., 2016). AI youth who received the intervention had reduced depression symptoms, reduced suicide-related outcomes, and more positive attitudes toward seeking mental health care. Over the past decade, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded programs have demonstrated the significant role Native community mental health workers can provide in suicide prevention (The National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda, 2016).
As we continue to grapple with global mental health challenges, the wisdom of indigenous cultures offers a beacon of hope. As we move forward, it’s crucial that we continue to explore and integrate diverse cultural perspectives in mental health. By embracing these diverse cultural perspectives, we open ourselves up to new ways of thinking about and addressing mental health challenges. As we’ve explored throughout this article, indigenous psychology offers a wealth of insights and approaches that can enrich our understanding of mental health and well-being.
