Native and Indigenous Peoples Addiction & Mental Health Support
Positive mental health is a key part of every person’s well-being. But, it is a known fact that the mental health of ethnic minority groups is often disproportionate to that of their white counterparts. Over 24% of the Native American population suffered from some type of mental illness in the past year. Studies show that Indigenous people experience serious psychological distress 2.5 times more often than the general population. Additionally, the rate of suicide among Native youth between the ages of 15-19 is more than double that of non-Hispanic whites. Native youth also start to use and abuse alcohol and other drugs at younger ages, and at higher rates, than all other ethnic groups. These numbers suggest that youth is the most at-risk group within the Native American and Indigenous communities.
Barriers to treatment are large factors when discussing mental illness among Native peoples. Cultural beliefs surrounding mental illness have many different interpretations among Indigenous people. Native people who are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse are more likely to seek help from spiritual healers. This creates a barrier between Indigenous people and professional treatment. Additionally, 78% of Native Americans live outside of tribal areas and 21% of them lack health insurance coverage. Mental health services exist primarily on reservations, creating another barrier.
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