Two Years of Relationship-Focused Mentoring for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Adolescents: Promoting Positive Mental Health

Abstract

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) youth are disproportionately affected by a range of negative health outcomes including poor emotional and psychosocial well-being. At the same time, there is increasing awareness of culturally-specific protective factors for these youth, such as cultural connectedness and identity. This article reports the findings of a mixed-methods, exploratory longitudinal study on the effects of a culturally-relevant school-based mentoring program for FNMI youth that focuses on promoting mental well-being and the development of cultural identity. Participants included a cohort of FNMI adolescents whom we tracked across the transition from elementary to secondary school. We utilized data from annual surveys (n = 105) and a subset of youth whom we interviewed (n = 28). Quantitative analyses compared youth who participated in 1 or 2 years of mentoring programs with those who did not participate. At Wave 3, the 2-year mentoring group demonstrated better mental health and improved cultural identity, accounting for Wave 1 functioning. These results were maintained when sex and school climate were accounted for in the models. Sex did not emerge as a significant moderator; however, post hoc analyses with simple slopes indicated that the mentoring program benefited girls more than boys for both outcomes. Interview data were coded and themed through a multi-phase process, and revealed that the mentoring program helped participants develop their intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, and enhanced their cultural and healthy relationships knowledge base. Collectively, the quantitative and qualitative components of this study identify multiple years of culturally-relevant mentoring as a promising approach for promoting well-being among FNMI youth.

Mental health disparities and high‐risk alcohol use among non‐heterosexual high school students

“…Research shows that positive adult‐child relationships serve as a protective factor against a variety of negative mental health outcomes including youth suicide, risky sexual behavior, perpetuating and being victimized by bullying, and anxiety and depression . Similarly, the presence of a supportive adult relationship is a protective factor against cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and substance use .…”

Indigenous Youth Peer-Led Health Promotion in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States: A Systematic Review of the Approaches, Study Designs, and Effectiveness

“…Five of the interventions were school-based only. These varied between structured curricula/classes ( 26 , 32 – 34 ), mentoring arrangements in which older youth offered health guidance and support to younger peers ( 39 ) and a creative project whereby students were involved in developing and performing a play incorporating health messages ( 40 ).…”

“…Many of the interventions incorporated some element of Indigenous cultural education or practice. The Four R Program ( 32 ) was based on the Indigenous Medicine Wheel Life Cycles, the Indigenous Hip Hop Projects ( 21 ) fused traditional culture with modern art forms, and the Taking Action against HIV intervention ( 29 ) educated youth about the impact of colonization on Indigenous health outcomes.…”

A scoping review

“…These are listed in the appendices (page 44 Future research Redvers et al (2015) recommend that more culturally appropriate evaluation and community capacity building around evaluation be supported, and that these are shared in international journals in order to make them internationally accessible, since most of this literature is recorded in grey literature. The need for identifying effective interventions of preventive strategies in the circumpolar region has also been underlined by many other scholars (Chachamovich et al, 2015;Crooks et al, 2017;Young et al, 2015).…”

“…This, however, requires studies exploring and increasing our knowledge on Inuit and Sami culture and practices in the historical and modern context (Bals et al, 2010;DeCou et al, 2013;Kral et al, 2011;MacDonald et al, 2013;Omma et al, 2013), and culturally appropriate and evidence-based evaluations, and support of community capacity building around evaluations (Redvers et al, 2015). The need for identifying effective interventions of preventive strategies in the circumpolar region has also been underlined by many other scholars (Chachamovich et al, 2015;Crooks et al, 2017;Young et al, 2015).…”