1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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),

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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),
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),
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. 
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),