Disease processes among American Indians and Alaska Natives often have distinct manifestations that need to be considered by clinicians and health policy makers involved with these populations. Equally important, all aspects of Indian life—including health—are governed by the special relationship between Indian tribes and the U.S. federal government. For American Indian Health, Everett R. Rhoades has gathered a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners to present a comprehensive assessment of the health of American Indian peoples today and the delivery of health services to them.
This unique book examines the physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors that support or undermine healthy development in American Indian children, including economics, biology, and public policies. The reasons for mental health issues among American Indian and Alaska Native children have not been well understood by investigators outside of tribal communities. Developing appropriate methodological approaches and evidence-based programs for helping these youths is an urgent priority in developmental science. This work must be done in ways that are cognizant of how the negative consequences of colonization contribute to American Indian and Alaska Native tribal members' underutilization of mental health services, higher therapy dropout rates, and poor response to culturally insensitive treatment programs. This book examines the forces affecting psychological development and mental health in American Indian children today. Experts from leading universities discuss factors such as family conditions, economic status, and academic achievement, as well as political, social, national, and global influences, including racism. Specific attention is paid to topics such as the role of community in youth mental health issues, depression in American Indian parents, substance abuse and alcohol dependency, and the unique socioeconomic characteristics of this ethnic group.
American Indians and Alaska Natives have consistently experienced disparities in access to healthcare services, funding, and resources; quality and quantity of services; treatment outcomes; and health education and prevention services. Availability, accessibility, and acceptability of behavioral health services are major barriers to recovery for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Common factors that infuence engagement and participation in services include availability of transportation and child care, treatment infrastructure, level of social support, perceived provider effectiveness, cultural responsiveness of services, treatment settings, geographic locations, and tribal affliations.
Equity in health care is a basic human right, yet disparities in health and wellness exist across racial lines. Despite the fact that disparities in Indigenous People’s health are particularly dramatic, they are less well understood. This volume focuses on the American Indian, in whom disparities in health are particularly severe. In a disease-specific format, health disparities in the American Indian are identified and discussed, with an emphasis on causes and solutions. Edited by experts in healthcare disparities, one of whom is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, this book focuses attention on the historically overlooked and underappreciated problem of inadequate healthcare for the American Indian and has relevance for Indigenous People’s health around the world. Of interest to all concerned with equity and inclusiveness in healthcare, it will be essential reading for physicians, public health workers, academics, and Indigenous People worldwide.
Health and the American Indian discusses contemporary health and social concerns in American Indian communities and offers recommendations for prevention, treatment, and future research. You’ll benefit from recent research that examines topics relating to physical and mental health, such as health care, gambling, historical trauma response, child welfare, and Native American involvement in the Human Genome Diversity Project. In Health and the American Indian, you’ll find cutting-edge information about various concerns in American Indian society that will assist you in offering culturally sensitive services to clients. Using in-depth studies and statistics to highlight issues facing Native Americans, this book provides you with an understanding of American Indian views on family, health, and being Native American. With Health and the American Indian, you’ll find suggestions and methods to sharpen your service skills, including: exploring differences in the historical trauma response between men and women to effectively treat both groups investigating the positive and negative effects that gambling has had on members of the community by using Grounded Theory combating problems related to gambling by redistributing a percentage of gaming income towards gaming abuse prevention and treatment programs, traditional community activities, and child care participating in continuing education or in-service training on cultural issues and understanding a client’s cultural background in order to better help clients utilize the benefits of the Indian Child Welfare Act using the Family Systems approach along with community health representatives in health care interventions to provide better health care for Native Americans Exploring the topic of genetic engineering, Health and the American Indian discusses the Human Genome Diversity Project, gene patents, and how Native Americans who supply genetic material are being exploited and see no compensation for their assistance. Examining how exploitation and fear stand in the way of better physical and mental well-being, Health and the American Indian offers you methods and suggestions to help prevent and improve existing health issues in Native American communities.
In 1924, the United States began a bold program in public health. The Indian Service of the United States hired its first nurses to work among Indians living on reservations. This corps of white women were dedicated to improving Indian health. In 1928, the first field nurses arrived in the Mission Indian Agency of Southern California. These nurses visited homes and schools, providing public health and sanitation information regarding disease causation and prevention. Over time, field nurses and Native people formed a positive working relationship that resulted in the decline of mortality from infectious diseases. Many Native Americans accepted and used Western medicine to fight pathogens, while also continuing Indigenous medicine ways. Nurses helped control tuberculosis, measles, influenza, pneumonia, and a host of gastrointestinal sicknesses. In partnership with the community, nurses quarantined people with contagious diseases, tested for infections, and tracked patients and contacts. Indians turned to nurses and learned about disease prevention. With strong hearts, Indians eagerly participated in the tuberculosis campaign of 1939–40 to x-ray tribal members living on twenty-nine reservations. Through their cooperative efforts, Indians and health-care providers decreased deaths, cases, and misery among the tribes of Southern California.
