IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v74y2012i10p1560-1569.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trauma and suicide behaviour histories among a Canadian indigenous population: An empirical exploration of the potential role of Canada's residential school system

Author

Listed:
  • Elias, Brenda
  • Mignone, Javier
  • Hall, Madelyn
  • Hong, Say P.
  • Hart, Lyna
  • Sareen, Jitender

Abstract

It has been theorized that suicide behaviours amongst indigenous peoples may be an outcome of mass trauma experienced as a result of colonization. In Canada, qualitative evidence has suggested that the Indian Residential School System set in motion a cycle of trauma, with some survivors reporting subsequent abuse, suicide, and other related behaviours. It has been further postulated that the effects of trauma can also be passed inter-generationally. Today, there are four generations of Canadian First Nations residential school survivors who may have transmitted the trauma they experienced to their own children and grandchildren. No empirical study has ever been undertaken to demonstrate this dynamic. This study is therefore the first to investigate whether a direct or indirect exposure to Canada's residential school system is associated with trauma and suicide behaviour histories. Data were collected in 2002/2003 from a representative sample of Manitoba, Canada, First Nations adults (N = 2953), including residential (N = 611) and non-residential school attendees (N = 2342). Regression analyses showed that for residential school attendees negative experiences in residential school were associated with a history of abuse, and that this history and being of younger age was associated with a history of suicide thoughts, whereas abuse history only was associated with a history of suicide attempts. For First Nations adults who did not attend a residential school, we found that age 28–44, female sex, not having a partner, and having a parent or grandparent who attended a residential school was associated with a history of abuse. This history, along with age and having had a parent or grandparent who attended residential school was associated with a history of suicide thoughts and attempts. In conclusion, this is the first study to empirically demonstrate, at the population level, the mental health impact of the residential school system on survivors and their children.

Suggested Citation

  • Elias, Brenda & Mignone, Javier & Hall, Madelyn & Hong, Say P. & Hart, Lyna & Sareen, Jitender, 2012. "Trauma and suicide behaviour histories among a Canadian indigenous population: An empirical exploration of the potential role of Canada's residential school system," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(10), pages 1560-1569.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:10:p:1560-1569
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.026
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612001426
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.026?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Evans-Campbell, T. & Lindhorst, T. & Huang, B. & Walters, K.L., 2006. "Interpersonal violence in the lives of urban American Indian and Alaska Native women: Implications for health, mental health, and help-seeking," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(8), pages 1416-1422.
    2. Manson, S.M. & Beals, J. & Klein, S.A. & Croy, C.D., 2005. "Social epidemiology of trauma among 2 American Indian reservation populations," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(5), pages 851-859.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Auger, Monique & Crooks, Claire V. & Lapp, Andrea & Tsuruda, Samantha & Caron, Cassidy & Rogers, Billie Joe & van der Woerd, Kim, 2019. "The essential role of cultural safety in developing culturally-relevant prevention programming in First Nations communities: Lessons learned from a national evaluation of Mental Health First Aid First," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 188-196.
    2. Ray, Lana & Wylie, Lloy & Corrado, Ann Marie, 2022. "Shapeshifters, systems thinking and settler colonial logic: Expanding the framework of analysis of Indigenous health equity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    3. Keith M Harris & Silvana Bettiol, 2017. "Exposure to suicidal behaviors: A common suicide risk factor or a personal negative life event?," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(1), pages 70-77, February.
    4. Mohatt, Nathaniel Vincent & Thompson, Azure B. & Thai, Nghi D. & Tebes, Jacob Kraemer, 2014. "Historical trauma as public narrative: A conceptual review of how history impacts present-day health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 128-136.
    5. Tutty, Leslie M. & Nixon, Kendra, 2020. "Mothers abused by intimate partners: Comparisons of those with children placed by child protective services and those without," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    6. Per Axelsson & Tahu Kukutai & Rebecca Kippen, 2016. "The field of Indigenous health and the role of colonisation and history," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 1-7, March.
    7. Gregg, Matthew T., 2018. "The long-term effects of American Indian boarding schools," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 17-32.
    8. Makenzie MacKay & Brenda Parlee & Carrie Karsgaard, 2020. "Youth Engagement in Climate Change Action: Case Study on Indigenous Youth at COP24," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-17, August.
    9. Waddell, C.M. & de Jager, M.D. & Gobeil, J. & Tacan, F. & Herron, R.V. & Allan, J.A. & Roger, K., 2021. "Healing journeys: Indigenous Men's reflections on resources and barriers to mental wellness," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    10. Kim Samuel & Sabina Alkire & Diego Zavaleta & China Mills & John Hammock, 2018. "Social isolation and its relationship to multidimensional poverty," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 83-97, January.
    11. Bennett, Mia M., 2018. "From state-initiated to Indigenous-driven infrastructure: The Inuvialuit and Canada’s first highway to the Arctic Ocean," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 134-148.
    12. Nelson, Sarah E. & Wilson, Kathi, 2017. "The mental health of Indigenous peoples in Canada: A critical review of research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 93-112.
    13. Bezo, Brent & Maggi, Stefania, 2015. "Living in “survival mode:” Intergenerational transmission of trauma from the Holodomor genocide of 1932–1933 in Ukraine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 87-94.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Melissa E. Lewis & Hannah I. Volpert-Esmond & Jason F. Deen & Elizabeth Modde & Donald Warne, 2021. "Stress and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk for Indigenous Populations throughout the Lifespan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-24, February.
    2. Palimaru, Alina I. & Dong, Lu & Brown, Ryan A. & D'Amico, Elizabeth J. & Dickerson, Daniel L. & Johnson, Carrie L. & Troxel, Wendy M., 2022. "Mental health, family functioning, and sleep in cultural context among American Indian/Alaska Native urban youth: A mixed methods analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    3. Ilana Allice & Anita Acai & Ayda Ferdossifard & Christine Wekerle & Melissa Kimber, 2022. "Indigenous Cultural Safety in Recognizing and Responding to Family Violence: A Systematic Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Kaufman, Carol E. & Desserich, Jennifer & Big Crow, Cecelia K. & Holy Rock, Bonnie & Keane, Ellen & Mitchell, Christina M., 2007. "Culture, context, and sexual risk among Northern Plains American Indian Youth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(10), pages 2152-2164, May.
    5. Conching, Andie Kealohi Sato & Thayer, Zaneta, 2019. "Biological pathways for historical trauma to affect health: A conceptual model focusing on epigenetic modifications," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 74-82.
    6. Frances M. Nilsen & Jessica Frank & Nicolle S. Tulve, 2020. "A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Investigating the Relationship between Exposures to Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors during Prenatal Development and Childhood Externalizing Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-32, March.
    7. Teresa N. Brockie & Morgan Heinzelmann & Jessica Gill, 2013. "A Framework to Examine the Role of Epigenetics in Health Disparities among Native Americans," Nursing Research and Practice, Hindawi, vol. 2013, pages 1-9, December.
    8. For the Cedar Project Partnership & Pearce, Margo E. & Christian, Wayne M. & Patterson, Katharina & Norris, Kat & Moniruzzaman, Akm & Craib, Kevin J.P. & Schechter, Martin T. & Spittal, Patricia M., 2008. "The Cedar Project: Historical trauma, sexual abuse and HIV risk among young Aboriginal people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2185-2194, June.
    9. Anastario, Mike & FireMoon, Paula & Rink, Elizabeth, 2020. "Sexual risk behaviors and the legacy of colonial violence among Northern plains American Indian youth: A mixed methods exploratory study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    10. December Maxwell & Rebecca Mauldin & Johanna Thomas & Victoria Holland, 2022. "American Indian Motherhood and Historical Trauma: Keetoowah Experiences of Becoming Mothers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-20, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:10:p:1560-1569. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.