Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues Within Native American Grandparenting Families

Abstract

Substance abuse and mental health problems among Native Americans are associated with a variety of general health, social, and economic problems. This current study examined Native American grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and found that a child, parent, or grandparent had an alcohol or drug problem in 36% of families. Substance abuse on the part of a parent was correlated with the reasons grandparents were raising their grandchildren. Native American grandparents raising grandchildren cope with a variety of challenges and receive little state-funded assistance or help from others.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Mental Health Statuses of Students Across Various Ethnic Identities

“…In the past decade, ACEs studies have evolved and have thus focused on speci c ethnic groups. Some of these groups have been studied previously regarding their ACEs and mental health, such as the African-American population and the Native-American population (Brockie et al, 2015;Mersky et al, 2013;Mignon and Holmes, 2013). Although these are studies focused on minority groups, studies such as these are in the minority themselves and are still not holistic, considering multiple variables that may impact these populations.…”

Grandfamilies and the Opioid Epidemic: A Systemic Perspective and Future Priorities

“…In studies focused on grandparents who are raising grandchildren due to parental substance or opioid misuse, grandparents reported a lack of awareness of available services, dissatisfaction with the amount or type of services available, and frustration with the lack of collaboration across agencies and services (Davis et al 2020;O'Leary and Butler 2015;Templeton 2012). They also expressed frustration over the lack of prevention and treatment services for substance misuse, particularly among those who resided in rural or underserved areas (Hansen et al 2020;Mignon and Holmes 2013). Additional barriers to obtaining services included prohibitive costs, lack of legal authority, fear of harming the parent, and privacy concerns, among others (e.g., lack of transportation or childcare; Crittenden et al 2009;Davis et al 2020).…”

“…Finally, given evidence that grandfamilies experience significant stigma and barriers to accessing services (Crittenden et al 2009;Davis et al 2020;Hansen et al 2020;Mignon and Holmes 2013;O'Leary and Butler 2015;Templeton 2012), future research should examine grandfamilies' service experiences, especially with regard to parental treatment for opioid or substance misuse and services for grandchildren's emotional and behavioral difficulties. Additionally, researchers could explore best practices for working with grandfamilies impacted by parental opioid or substance misuse, particularly practices or interventions that incorporate the various subsystems within the family (e.g., grandparent-parent, parent-grandchildren, grandparent-grandchild), address problematic family interaction patterns, and account for the family's history of trauma and other adversities.…”

“…From a systemic perspective, efforts must be made to improve grandparents' interactions with the larger environments in which they are embedded. For instance, even if services are available, grandfamilies experience barriers to accessing needed supports (Crittenden et al 2009;Davis et al 2020;Hansen et al 2020;Mignon and Holmes 2013;O'Leary and Butler 2015;Templeton 2012). Therefore, efforts should be made to reduce key barriers to service utilization including lack of awareness of services, difficulties navigating service requirements, and logistical (e.g., transportation and childcare) challenges.…”

“…Therefore, efforts should be made to reduce key barriers to service utilization including lack of awareness of services, difficulties navigating service requirements, and logistical (e.g., transportation and childcare) challenges. In addition, services should be culturally attuned and responsive to the needs of specific communities of grandfamilies (Crittenden et al 2009;Mignon and Holmes 2013). Finally, integration of child welfare services and treatment/recovery services could provide grandfamilies with a more efficient and coordinated service experience (O'Leary and Butler 2015).…”