American Indian and Alaska Native Culture Card
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
A brief document outlining specific issues of cultural competence when providing service to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Circles of Care: Creating Models of Care for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth
Report from Circles of Care, a SAMHSA program providing grants to providers using culturally competent strategies to better serve American Indian and Alaska Native Youth.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
Creating communities where individuals, families, schools, faith-based organizations, and workplaces take action to promote emotional health and reduce the likelihood of mental illness, substance abuse including tobacco, and suicide. This Initiative will include a focus on the Nation’s high-risk youth, youth in Tribal communities, and military families
The distinctive characteristics and needs of domestic violence victims in a Native American community
The objectives of the research described in this paper were to describe specific features of Native American domestic violence (DV), and identify the needs and barriers to service delivery for American Indians experiencing DV. Qualitative methods of data collection were used in this research. The results suggest that DV in Native American communities may be distinct in a number of ways. The cause of Native American DV may be anchored in historic trauma, poverty, alcohol and drugs, and rural isolation. Cultural and economic features of Native American DV are discussed. The complexity of DV in the Native American community, its association with a number of co-morbid problems, suggests a multi-modal intervention approach and collaboration among a variety of professionals.
Lifetime Prevalence of Pathological Gambling Among American Indian and Hispanic American Veterans
Westermeyer et al examine the prevalence and clinical correlates of pathological gambling among 1228 American Indian and Hispanic American veterans in the southwest and north central regions of the US. A 70% lifetime comorbidity of psychiatric disorders suggests that early interventions for pathological gambling should consider common psychiatric conditions rather than focusing on pathological gambling alone.
Epidemiology and Etiology of Substance Use among American Indians and Alaska Natives: Risk, Protection, and Implications for Prevention
Substance use – and associated health consequences – is typically higher in American Indians and Alaska Natives than among other US groups, although significant variation across Native communities is apparent with tobacco and alcohol use. This article provides a brief descriptive sketch of the AI/AN population in the United States today, presents a brief review of the literature on the epidemiology and etiology of substance use within these populations, and discusses key implications of this literature for prevention efforts.
Review of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Research in Indian Country: Future Directions to Strive toward Health Equity
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have disproportionately high rates of substance use disorders (SUDs). Effective treatment can help to reduce these disparities. This article reviews and summarizes the AI/AN SUD treatment research literature between 1965 and 2011.
A Review of Evidence-Based Approaches for Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Native Women Who Are Pregnant or of Reproductive Age
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) represent a significant health issue with high personal and societal costs. Improvement of interventions to prevent prenatal alcohol consumption in specific populations, including American Indian and Alaska Native women, is a critical public health need. This systematic review of current literature on evidence-based interventions presents key findings and best practices to address FASDs among this population.
Substance Abuse Prevention in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
This article reviews three categories of American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) substance abuse prevention programs: (1) published empirical trials; (2)promising programs published and unpublished that are in the process of development and that have the potential for empirical trials; and (3) examples of innovative grassroots programs that originate at the local level and may have promise for further development.
