A review of health and wellness studies involving Inuit of Manitoba and Nunavut

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to summarise past Inuit health and wellness studies in Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut to provide a snapshot of the types of studies available and identify the gaps in knowledge. Research to date has largely been disease-based and often provides comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Distinct Inuit experiences are rarely written about from an Inuit perspective. However, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organisation of Inuit in Canada, and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada have been leaders in strengths-based community research and publications that address priorities determined by the Inuit, including the 2018 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami document National Inuit Strategy on Research (132).

Forensic psychiatry services in Nunavut

“…Many demographic characteristics compare closely to previous literature on forensic psychiatry populations, including that most of the sample were male, single, and unemployed [ 36 ]. However, a lower level of education was found in the current sample than what is commonly observed, albeit consistent with the population of this territory [ 6 ].…”

“…With a large land mass and remoteness, Nunavut has faced challenges in healthcare delivery and availability of services, often within the context of historical injustice and oppression, and with social disparities that persist today [2][3][4]. Nunavut has some of the highest rates of suicide and mental health issues across the country [4][5][6][7][8]. Previous literature has suggested that involvement with the criminal justice system is frequently an initial stop for individuals in Nunavut with mental disorders and/or those without access to the appropriate care [9,10].…”

Understanding culturally safe cancer survivorship care with inuit in an urban community

“…In the last decade, there has been an increased impetus to conduct research with Indigenous/Inuit communities [43]. These research efforts have explored culturally safe care for Inuit and multiple models and initiatives have been developed [21,[44][45][46][47]. However, despite these efforts, participants in our study described significantly more barriers than facilitators to culturally safe care and discussed ongoing feelings of paternalism in the current healthcare approaches.…”

“…A key part of Inuit cultural identity are traditional ways of life such as country food and traditional medicines, crafts, and access to the land [ 45 ]. In addition, Inuktut can be an expression of cultural identity and understood to be more than a language; Inuit culture is often embedded within the language itself [ 46 ]. It follows that Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (2014), the national representational organisation protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada [ 55 ], identifies language as one of the social determinants of Inuit health.…”

“We’re Home Now”: How a Rehousing Intervention Shapes the Mental Well-Being of Inuit Adults in Nunavut, Canada

“…A recent review of the literature on Inuit wellness identified that research to date has largely been disease-oriented and often emphasizes stigmatizing comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Thus, research that could lead to ways of understanding mental health promotion from an Inuit perspective is needed [ 57 ]. In this respect, interventions with positive impacts on family relationships and cultural identity are viewed as more likely to produce benefits, since they address central features of Inuit well-being [ 36 , 57 , 58 ].…”