Indigenous Youth Resilience: Contextual & Cultural Considerations Elaine Toombs, Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) CIHR Team Grant: Advancing Boys’ and Men’s Health (ResearchGate Link Here) #CIHRTeamSV

Indigenous Youth Have Unique Needs Indigenous youth face unique challenges when compared to non-Indigenous youth related to: Mental health outcomes Family disruption Educational attainment Other health disparities: social determinants of health Research conceptualizations need to align with community values to create useful information

SS Personality Risk, Drinking Motives, Drinking Levels, and Drinking Problems .102 ENH χ2 (20) = 57.71, p = .000; NFI = .95; IFI = .97; CFI = .97; RMSEA = .06; significant paths – solid lines .350 .221 Q IMP .246 .172 .174 CONF PROBS .202 .116 .356 AS .066 .217 .213 F .240 COP .162 HOP Mushquash, C. J., Stewart, S. H., Comeau, M. N., & McGrath, P. J. (2008). The structure of drinking motives in First Nations adolescents in Nova Scotia. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (Online), 15(1), 33. OPEN ACCESS LINK HERE .191

Recent Marijuana Use (% last 30 days) *p < .05 Mushquash, C. J., Comeau, N., & Stewart, S. H. (2007). An alcohol abuse early intervention approach with Mi’kmaq adolescents. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 3(2), 17-26.

Resilience In Canadian Indigenous Youth: A Scoping Review Toombs, E., Kowatch, K. R., & Mushquash, C. J.  (2016).  Resilience in Canadian Indigenous Youth: A scoping review.  International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 4(1), 4-32. OPEN ACCESS LINK HERE

1. Definitions of Resilience Relevant Findings 1. Definitions of Resilience Included holistic perspective and wellbeing 2. Identified Outcomes Related to Resilience Studies tended targeted substance use and mental health 3. Factors That Promoted Resilience Community and cultural factors were prioritized in many studies Toombs, E., Kowatch, K. R., & Mushquash, C. J.  (2016).  Resilience in Canadian Indigenous Youth: A scoping review.  International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 4(1), 4-32. OPEN ACCESS LINK HERE

IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS Consideration of contextual and cultural factors Dynamic process Models may require re-conceptualization over time Next steps: Using Indigenous models of knowledge Using approaches that can inform evidence-based treatment Mushquash, C. J., Comeau, N., & Stewart, S. H. (2007). An alcohol abuse early intervention approach with Mi’kmaq adolescents. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 3(2), 17-26. Mushquash, C. J., Comeau, M. N., McLeod, B. D., & Stewart, S. H. (2010). A four-stage method for developing early interventions for alcohol among Aboriginal adolescents. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 8(2), 296-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-009-9240-2 Mushquash, C. Jl, Goldstein, A., & Wekerle, C.  (2016).  Caregiving & Resilience: Supporting youth in adversity, in transition, and in community.  Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Care Centre Knowledge Exchange Network Webinar.  Link here.  Rowan, M., Poole, N., Shea, B., Gone, J. P., Mykota, D., Farag, M., ... & Dell, C. (2014). Cultural interventions to treat addictions in Indigenous populations: findings from a scoping study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9(1), 34.  https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-597X-9-34  Stewart, S.  (2017).  Personality and Risk for Substance Abuse: Background, Content, and Evidence-Base for the Preventure  Program for Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention.  Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Care Centre Knowledge Exchange Network Webinar.  Link here.   Zahradnik, M., Stevens, D., Stewart, S., Comeau, N., Wekerle, C., & Mushquash, C. (2007). Building a collaborative understanding of pathways to adolescent alcohol misuse in a Mi’kmaq community: A process paper. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 3(2), 27-36.