ABSTRACT
In this study, we investigated mental health service and provider preferences of American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes from two tribes in the northern Midwest. Preferences were determined and compared by participant characteristics. After controlling for other factors, living on reservation lands was associated with increased odds of Native provider preference, and decreased odds of biomedical service preference. Anxiety also was associated with decreased odds of biomedical service preference. Spiritual activity engagement and past health care discrimination were associated with increased odds of traditional service preference. We discuss implications for the types of mental health services offered and characteristics of providers who are recruited for tribal communities.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/ethnology , Indians, North American/ethnology , Mental Health Services , Patient Preference/ethnology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Positive mental health (PMH) is an important construct for understanding the full continuum of mental health. Some socially disadvantaged populations experience a paradoxically high level of PMH despite negative social experiences including discrimination. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and culturally salient correlates of PMH among a cross-sectional sample of 218 American Indian adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although 17.1 percent of individuals in this sample met Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) criteria for depression, 51.5 percent were in flourishing PMH. Perceived discrimination was negatively associated with PMH, and participation in traditional cultural activities was positively associated with PMH. Traditional cultural activities did not appear to buffer the impact of discrimination on PMH. This study contributes to strengths-based research with American Indian communities, furthers our understanding of correlates of PMH, and documents comparatively high rates of flourishing mental health in our sample relative to previously published studies with diverse samples.
