The mental health status of Alaska Native youth is significantly compromised relative to their non-Native counterparts (Alaska DHSS, 2002). The incidence of alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, community violence, and child maltreatment are significantly higher in Alaska Natives than the national average (Manson, Bechtold, Novins, & Beals, 1997). To date, Western approaches to mental health service delivery have been largely unsuccessful due to: (1) being culturally inappropriate, and (2) being financially prohibitive in view of the remote isolation and small size of village communities in Alaska (University of Alaska, 2004). The primary goal of this research project is to empirically study a culturally based intervention model termed """"""""Wellness Teams"""""""" that has gained widespread acceptance and is increasingly being implemented throughout rural Alaska. The long-term research agenda is to determine whether Wellness Teams are an effective, culturally appropriate, and financially feasible approach to deliver children's mental health services in rural Alaska.
The specific aims of the R34 are twofold.
Aim I is to develop a culturally-based operational definition of children's mental health in Alaska Native (AN) villages based on Alaska Native values and culture.
This aim will also include the identification of a set of measurable indicators of children's mental health that can be used in subsequent research to determine outcomes of services.
Aim II is to articulate how Wellness Teams actually function.
This aim will include an examination of the congruence between articulated goals and actual working practice. The research will be conducted using a community based participatory research model (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2003) in three villages in Interior Alaska. The methodology will include the use of psychologically informed ethnography (Stewart, 2004). The findings from this project will guide subsequent research that will investigate the mechanisms of action and effectiveness of Wellness Teams.
