Cultural Approaches to Promote Indigenous Mental Health: Weaving Healthy Families.

Abstract

Pilot results from the culturally relevant Weaving Healthy Families (WHF) prevention program were examined to see how U.S. Indigenous adolescents and adult' program participation was associated with changes in mental health outcomes, namely dysfunctional attitudes among adolescent (aged 12-17) and adults, and adult symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A nonexperimental one-group longitudinal design and generalized estimating equations model were to examine results from 24 adolescents and adults in eight Indigenous families. Promising preliminary results indicated significant declines in dysfunctional attitudes and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.