Abstract
The mental health of Canada’s Aboriginal women has received little scholarly attention. This paper describes the mental health of First Nations women living on reserve in Ontario and compares these findings with results from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Reserve communities were randomly selected within urban, rural, remote and special access regions. Depression was measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Alcohol use and health services utilization questions were identical to those used in the NPHS. Compared with NPHS women, First Nations women reported significantly higher rates of depression (18% vs 9%) but significantly lower rates of alcohol use (55% vs 74% reported drinking in the last year), although significantly greater proportions reported having 5+ drinks on one occasion (43% vs 24%). Given the burden of suffering associated with depression and the twofold risk found here, it is important to examine risk and protective factors specific to First Nations women. The findings of a higher proportion of abstainers, but also a higher proportion of consumers of 5+ drinks among First Nations women relative to NPHS women indicate the need for a more careful investigation, based on community rather than clinical data, of patterns of alcohol use.
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Acknowledgements
The Technical Advisory Committee and the Research Team would like to acknowledge the commitment and support of all the First Nations communities who participated in the Ontario First Nations Regional Health Survey. This study was supported with funding from the Tobacco Demand Reduction Strategy, Health Canada. Dr. MacMillan was supported by a William T. Grant Faculty Scholar Award, and by the Wyeth Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Research Chair in Women’s Mental Health. Dr. Offord was supported by a Career Scientist Award from Health Canada.
Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (subsequently known as the Health Coordination Unit):
Tracey Antone, Chiefs of Ontario Health Coordinator
Phyllis Williams, Health Director, Union of Ontario Indians
Cathryn George, Health Director, Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians
Deanna Jones-Keeshig, Health Coordinator, Independent First Nations
Richard Green, Health Director, Grand Council Treaty #3
Alvin Fiddler, Health Policy Analyst, Nishnawbe-Aski Nation
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MacMillan, H.L., Jamieson, E., Walsh, C.A. et al. First Nations women’s mental health: results from an Ontario survey. Arch Womens Ment Health 11, 109–115 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0004-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0004-y