The Use of Mobile Applications to Support Indigenous Youth Wellbeing in Canada

Abstract

In Canada, Indigenous youth have remained resilient despite being confronted with a wide range of structural and systemic risks, such as long-lasting boil water advisories, over-representation in the child welfare system, and injustices related to land treaties. As people of the land, all disruptions to ecological health are a disruption to personal and community holistic health. Land-based activities and cultural continuity strengthen pathways of perseverance for Indigenous youth (Toombs et al., 2016). For youth, cultural self-expression and personal agency are enhanced with digital platforms, which are well-suited to Indigenous people’s strengths in art, music, and oral forms of passing on knowledge. The field of mental health has turned to e-supports such as mobile applications (apps) that can provide easy-to-access intervention, when needed. To date, resilience interventions have received comparatively less attention than the study of resilience factors and processes. It is timely to review the extant literature on mental health apps with Indigenous youth as, currently, Indigenous apps are in early research stages. Critically reviewing work to date, it is argued that an inclusive and expansive concept of resilience, coherent with Indigenous holistic health views, is well-positioned as a foundation for collaborative resilience app development. To date, few mental health apps have been researched with Indigenous youth, and fewer have been co-constructed with Indigenous youth and their community members. The current literature points to feasibility in terms of readiness or potential usage, and functionality for promoting an integrated cultural and holistic health lens. As this effort may be specific to a particular Indigenous nation’s values, stories, and practices, we highlight the Haudenosaunee conceptual wellness model as one example to guide Indigenous and non-Indigenous science integration, with a current project underway with the JoyPopTM mHealth app for promoting positive mental health and resilience.

Assessing the Impact of Water Insecurity on Maternal Mental Health at Six Nations of the Grand River

“…For Haudenosaunee, mental health is embedded in their notion of Ganikwi: yo or good mind established in the Great Law of Peace. A good mind is achieved through living in peace, balance, and harmony with all creation (Noronha et al, 2021). Noronha et al (2021) adapted the Haudenosaunee wellness model collected from the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo private school to demonstrate that for Haudenosaunee, both good mental health and resilience depend on a good mind, family, community, environment, and spirituality.…”

“…A good mind is achieved through living in peace, balance, and harmony with all creation (Noronha et al, 2021). Noronha et al (2021) adapted the Haudenosaunee wellness model collected from the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo private school to demonstrate that for Haudenosaunee, both good mental health and resilience depend on a good mind, family, community, environment, and spirituality. Further, they demonstrated that mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression are not universal, nor are their healings; instead, they vary in different cultures (Kleinman and Good, 1986;Kelm, 1998;Adelson, 2005).…”

“…Despite ongoing colonialism and continuous marginalization, Indigenous communities in Canada strived and did well (Kirmayer et al, 2009;Noronha et al, 2021). Indigenous resilience is land-based and rooted in traditional philosophies and cultures.…”

“…Community involvement in child-rearing, respect for age, wisdom and tradition, nature, generosity, cooperation, and patience are essential in nurturing resilience (Stout and Kipling, 2003, p. 23). The Haudenosaunee have upheld their traditions and teachings despite the ongoing colonial pressure of acculturation and assimilation (Shimony, 1994;Noronha et al, 2021). Kirmayer et al (2009) demonstrated that availability and accessibility of several protective factors such as family, community, language, cultural identity, improved infrastructure with local control are crucial for Indigenous resiliency.…”

Child Sexual Abuse Victimization: Focus on Self-Compassion

“…Self-compassion resonates in various Indigenous cultures. For example, Haudenosaunee perspectives include kindness and gratitude as part of the concept of “good mind, ” which is more communally defined in terms of the power of the mind that is unified amongst relatives than individually-focused ( 81 ). The Mohawk word for compassion translates as “love among us” (A.…”