Grant: Doctoral Research Award -PA: Research in First Nations, Métis &/or Inuit Health

Mental health difficulties are greater among Indigenous peoples in Canada compared to non-Indigenous Canadians. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may explain the disproportionate mental health disparities. Preliminary data indicated that 61% of Indigenous participants had clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. ACEs are a known risk factor for PTSD in adulthood. Given this finding, it is important that research identifies culturally relevant protective factors against PTSD for Indigenous adults. Resilience factors, including community connectedness, were found to buffer against the effects of PTSD in First Nation youth in Canada. However, this has yet to be replicated in Indigenous adults. The proposed study will examine the protective role of resilience and cultural connectedness in the relationship between ACEs and PTSD symptoms among a sample of treatment-seeking Indigenous adults. The researcher will conduct the proposed study in collaboration with an Indigenous-led community organization that services the Robinson-Superior Treaty area in Northwestern Ontario. Indigenous adults attending residential substance use treatment aged 18 years and older will be recruited to participate. Participants will individually complete self-report measures. Relationships will be examined using linear regressions and structural equation modelling. Factors that may influence these relationships, such as age, sex, and gender, will also be analyzed. The proposed study seeks to identify factors that may improve the well-being of Indigenous adults who struggle with substance use. As much of the current research with Indigenous populations is deficit-focused, this study aims to identify how individual, familial, and community-level strengths can be utilized to bolster psychological health. Furthermore, this research may inform psychological interventions for those affected by ACEs to reduce symptoms of PTSD.