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. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D