Mental Health and Suicide
Intergenerational Trauma
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Youth Suicide
26.7% of First Nation adults used marijuana
Alcohol and drugs can lead to abuse to themselves and to people
Cannabis is used by 8 or 9 males out of 10 aged 15 to 24, its use is also widespread among females, as well as in the overall population under the age of 45
Inuit communities have been even more impacted by illicit drugs, namely cannabis, cocaine and solvents.
Because youth are most vulnerable to the temptation of drugs, addiction can begin.
Social workers, health professionals, police, lawyers and government officials are working together to develop a comprehensive policy that will “lead the way as a model for other First Nation communities to use in their battle against drugs and alcohol.”
untreated trauma-related stress experienced by survivors is passed on to second and subsequent generations.
trauma inflicted by residential schools and the Sixties Scoop was significant
Many children suffered horrific abuse while in these homes and institutions.
Parents and communities were traumatised when their children were taken away from them without knowing when they will come back
Depression, anxiety, family violence, suicidal and homicidal thoughts and addictions are some of the behaviours that can result from unresolved trauma.
Mental health therapists see a self destruct behaviour when working with people who have experienced direct or intergenerational trauma.
The self-destructive behaviour exists because the person is having a difficult time dealing with the pain of remembering the past, or trying to survive an abusive situation.
The suicide rate for Indigenous male youth (age 15-24) is 126 per 100,000 compared to 24 per 100,000 for non-Indigenous male youth.
For Indigenous females, the suicide rate is 35 per 100,000 compared to 5 per 100,000 for non-Indigenous females
Suicide rates for Indigenous youth are among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average.
Residential schools experiences, forced adoptions, foster care, forced relocation from one community to another and denial of existence as people are some of the effects of colonisation
Depression (other mental illnesses), alcohol and drug dependency, hopelessness, low self-esteem, sexual abuse and violence, parental loss, homelessness are some risk factors which can place a Indigenous teen at risk for suicide