Historical Trauma and American Indian/Alaska Native Youth Mental Health Development and Delinquency

Abstract

Health disparities in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are well documented in the literature, as AI/AN youth appear to be more likely to experience trauma and engage in high‐risk behavior, such as substance misuse and risky sexual behavior. These youth also appear disproportionally affected by the criminal justice system. Scholars contend that much of these disparities can be traced back to the history of colonization of Indigenous peoples and the transgenerational effects of forced suppression of cultural ideology. This paper reviews the relevant literature on AI/AN youth mental and behavioral health, and this author highlights studies which examine the plausible relation between historical trauma and contemporary AI/AN youth mental health and delinquency. This author proposes that future research should target the high number of AI/AN youths in juvenile justice settings given that these youths appear neglected in current research.

“Could we have predicted this?” The association of a future mental health need in young people with a non‐specific complaint and frequent emergency department visits

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School psychologists’ supporting American Indian students on the path to academic success: a community cultural wealth approach

“…A review of the extant literature about American Indian students suggests that of the little research that does exist, considerable attention has been paid to problems, challenges and obstacles that these students have encountered in their educational and personal lives. Indeed, the negative features of students’ educational experiences, outcomes and mental health have been extensively studied and documented (Garcia, 2020; Riser et al , 2019). From data detailing high rates of school dropout (Stetser and Stillwell, 2014), to studies documenting elevated suicidal behavior (Burrage et al , 2016), to problems associated with service delivery due to mistrust of providers (Call et al , 2006), the existing tradition of scholarship has focused almost exclusively on negative events and circumstances of American Indian youth and their families.…”

Structural Racism in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moving Forward

“…The pandemic adds a "spectacle" to the silenced but well-documented intergenerational trauma among these communities. It adds a visual display of the historical experiences of trauma from slavery, displacement, colonization and genocide that are "passed on" from one generation to the next through a combination of biological, behavioral and psychological processes (Chavez-Dueñas et al 2019;Estrada 2009;Garcia 2020;Landor and McNeil Smith 2019;O'Neill et al 2018;Yehuda and Lehrner 2018). Significantly, research highlights the role of structural factors that play into the cycle of continued trauma, including lack of access to adequate and preventative healthcare and the chronic stress associated with social disadvantage and racism (AAFP 2019;Scorza et al 2019;Trent, Dooley, and Douge 2019).…”