Indigenous Mental Health Issues

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Definition: Mental health has become a pressing issue in Indigenous communities. Often, a combination of trauma, a lack of accessible health resources, substance abuse, violence, and socioeconomic situations lead to high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in Indigenous Peoples. This crisis is especially apparent in Indigenous youth, where there is a growing suicide epidemic but little mental health support and resources are provided. The increase in stigmatized and untreated mental illness has continued as trauma and systemic injustices remain unaddressed. Indigenous groups, governmental parties, and health organizations are involved. They hold varying beliefs on how to best approach the issue, ranging from community-driven to government-driven. Ethical discussions are taking place to determine the best approach to this issue. Questions: How does stigma within Indigenous communities surrounding …show more content…

Self-determination and the freedom to address specific mental health issues in the way communities best deem fit would be an effective step in reconciliation. However, the level of funding each community would receive might be unequal. The quality of mental health care due to the lack of national regulation could differ from community to community, depending on mental wellness knowledge and resource availability. Ethical Questions and Implications: Is it healthier for reconciliation to have Indigenous communities decide individually and independently how to approach the issue or will federally backed, formulated plans be more effective in treating mental health long term, especially because the issue is so critical and urgent? Should Indigenous communities be forced to rely on a governmental system that has broken promises and caused the intergenerational trauma that so heavily affects mental health in the same

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