Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 2013 The StarPhoenix Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400 Author: Mark Lemstra KIDS ON RESERVES NEED ASSISTANCE The recent issue of Paediatrics and Child Health contains two articles on health and risky behaviours of children who live on reserves in Saskatchewan. The first reviews the prevalence of suicide ideation and its causes. The second article determines the extent of alcohol abuse and drug use and its causes. The research project had the children completing a number of validated surveys. These were: the National Longitudinal Survey for Children and Youth; the Centre of Epidemiological Studies depression scale; the Reasons for Depression questionnaire; the Parenting Relationship scale; the Health Behaviour in School Aged Children survey; the Marsh Self Description questionnaire for self-esteem; the Safe School Study to review the impact of bullying; the Youth Smoking Survey, and so on. Other questions were added from the First Nations Longitudinal Health Survey to determine the impact of culture and participating in cultural activities. Let's start with suicidal ideation. Among children in Grades 5 to 8 who live on reserve, 23 per cent had suicidal thoughts in the past year. Among Saskatoon children in the same grades who completed the same questionnaire, 8.5 per cent were thinking about ending their life. Restricting this analysis to Saskatoon children who are aboriginal, 19 per cent had suicidal thoughts. In other words, aboriginal children in Saskatoon had less suicide ideation than First Nations children who lived on reserve. Among the children on reserves, wanting to leave home and parent occupational status were the biggest predictors of suicidal thoughts. Children who wanted to leave home were 1,291 per cent more likely to want to end their life. Not a single child who had a father with a professional occupation had suicide ideation and, as such, it was impossible to compute odds. The two other main predictors were not feeling loved and having a depressed mood. Children who did not feel loved were 285 per cent more likely to have suicide ideation, while a depressed mood increased the odds by 198 per cent. For alcohol abuse, 23.5 per cent of children in Grades 5 to 8 who live on a reserve were abusing alcohol. In comparison, 5.4 per cent of Saskatoon children of the same age who completed the same questionnaire were abusing alcohol. Aboriginal children living in Saskatoon had a prevalence rate of 16.7 per cent, which is lower than First Nations children living on reserve. There are five variables that predicted alcohol abuse on reserves: being older, being female, wanting to leave home, being a smoker and using marijuana. Which grade they were in school was particularly important. Among Grade 8 children, 59.4 per cent abused alcohol whereas it was 13.8 per cent among Grade 5 children. Gender, too, was an important factor, as 35.8 per cent of girls abused alcohol compared to 12.3 per cent of boys. For drug use, 14.7 per cent of children on reserve were using marijuana compared to 2.7 per cent of Saskatoon children. Predictors of using marijuana included older age, not having parents that understand them, not having someone who shows love and affection, being a smoker and abusing alcohol. For example, 28.8 per cent of 13-year-olds were using marijuana in comparison to 6.3 per cent of 10-year-olds. Children who believed that their parents did not understand them were 214 per cent more likely to be thinking of suicide. Perhaps surprisingly, cultural beliefs and participation in cultural activities did not predict suicide ideation, alcohol abuse or drug use. We must be very careful that research like this is not used in a discriminatory way. The purpose of the research was to shed a light on the fact that children who live on reserve need and deserve help. For example, if parent professional occupational status is such a strong predictor of health outcomes, it is important to invest in strategies that promote high quality education and employment. Surely no rational person would argue the value of such programs. The challenge is to assist in a way that is inclusive and respectful of aboriginal people. The research also found the need to assist parents in other ways. The good news is that many youth mental health promotion strategies, such as the Resourceful Adolescent Program, the PENN Resilience Program and the PATHS program, also include progressive skills training for parents to help children feel loved, minimize arguments, and so on. The federal and provincial governments should work in true partnership with First Nations communities to help implement such valuable programs. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D