The rates of DSM-III-R alcohol dependence found in AI-SUPERPFP were generally higher than US averages and justify continued attention and concern to alcohol problems in AI communities, but they are not nearly as high as those in other reports in the literature that rely on less stringent sampling methods. Furthermore, significant sociocultural influences on the correlates of alcohol dependence in AI communities are evident in these data, underscoring the need to appreciate the complex and varying influences on the patterning of alcohol problems in the diverse cultural contexts of the US.
The developmental experiences of very young American Indian children today are not well documented in the current literature. The present study sought to explore the social-emotional development of American Indian toddlers living on a Northern Plains reservation, as a function of maternal variables. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires about their experiences and their children's development. Observer ratings of children's development also were conducted. Maternal stress, substance use/abuse, perceptions of stress in the mother-child relationship, social support, and American Indian cultural identity were significantly related to children's social-emotional development. This study is the first to explore these relationships in a Northern Plains American Indian sample of young children and their mothers. Results suggest possible points of intervention for improving the developmental outcomes of very young American Indian children.
Purpose
To determine conditional risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in two culturally distinct American Indian reservation communities.
Method
Data from the American Indian Service Utilization, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Risk and Protective Factors Project, a cross-sectional population-based survey completed between 1997 and 2000. This study focused on 1,967 participants meeting the DSM-IV criteria for trauma exposure. Traumas were grouped into interpersonal, non-interpersonal, witnessed, and “trauma to close others” categories. Analyses examined distribution of worst traumas, conditional rates of PTSD following exposure, and distributions of PTSD cases deriving from these events. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions estimated associations of lifetime PTSD with trauma type.
Results
Overall, 15.9% of those exposed to DSM-IV trauma qualified for lifetime PTSD, a rate comparable to similar U.S. studies. Women were more likely to develop PTSD than were men. The majority (60%) of cases of PTSD among women derived from interpersonal trauma exposure (in particular, sexual and physical abuse); among men, cases were more evenly distributed across trauma categories.
Conclusions
Previous research has demonstrated higher rates of both trauma exposure and PTSD in American Indian samples compared to other Americans. This study shows that conditional rates of PTSD are similar to those reported elsewhere, suggesting that the elevated prevalence of this disorder in American Indian populations is largely due to higher rates of trauma exposure.
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