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An Exploration of Mental Health Support Service Access and

Adequacy for Indigenous Mothers in Manitoba

Sydney Levasseur-Puhach & Dr. Leslie E. Roos

The Hearts and Minds Lab

Background and Objectives

Methods

Results: Storylines

  • Two-eyed seeing and community-based participatory action, advisory council.
  • 7 semi-structured interviews (4 Anishinaabe participants, 3 Métis participants).
  • Narrative and meaning making analyses.
  • Data situated within historical, cultural, and kinship contexts.

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Anishinaabe sample:

(1) Taking Care of Me to Take Care of Them (Cycle Breaking)

(2) Honouring the Child Within (Stories of Courage and Perseverance)

(3) Seeking Connection (Exploring Cultural Identity)

(4) Looking at the Bigger Picture (Wholistic Wellness)

(5) Systemic Oppression (Stories of Barriers, Protection, and Survival)

Métis sample:

(1) Indigenous Enough (Stories of Connection and Disconnection

(2) Wearing Many Hats (Navigating Roles and Identities within Motherhood)

(3) Healing the Self (Stories of Coping and Maintaining Individuality)

(4) Systems Navigation (Stories of Perseverance and Exhaustion)

  • O1: Generate knowledge of Indigenous mothers’ mental health priorities.
  • O2: Inform change in programs and services.
  • Q1. What are benefits/shortfalls in experiences of Indigenous mothers in mental health programs?
  • Q2. How can improvements be made?
  • Indigenous mothers at greater risk of mental health adversity than non-Indigenous mothers.1,2
  • Few programs developed with cultural safety to support acute needs.3,4
  • BEAM program 30% Indigenous participants.

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Quotes:

“I think that talking about cultural,, traditional healing and having an Elder there, and different than Western cultures ways of dealing with mental health and-- the other really wonderful thing about Indigenous culture is community and fostering community and raising children together, and motherhood is – there's a kinship there that is very non-western, and that focus is beautiful.”

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“I have friends that have family that are really helpful and involved, and it makes a huge difference. It can be really isolating when you don't have that. So, not assuming, I guess that people have villages, because I know a lot of families are doing it on their own, and they're doing the best they can with the tools that they have.”

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References

1. Black, K. A., MacDonald, I., Chambers, T., & Ospina, M. B. (2019). Postpartum mental health disorders in indigenous women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 41(10), 1470-1478

2. Owais, S., Faltyn, M., Johnson, A. V., Gabel, C., Downey, B., Kates, N., & Van Lieshout, R. J. (2020). The perinatal mental health of Indigenous women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 65(3), 149-163. 

3. Gone JP. Redressing First Nations historical trauma: Theorizing mechanisms for indigenous culture as mental health treatment. Transcult Psychiatry. 2013;50(5):683-706. doi:10.1177/1363461513487669 

4. Lavoie JG, Phillips-Beck W, Kinew KA, Katz A. Manitoba First Nation peoples’ use of hospital-based mental health services: trends and solutions. Can J Public Health Rev Can Sante Publique. 2021;112(2):231-239. doi:10.17269/s41997-020-00328-z 

Results: Priorities

  • Weekly hybrid program sessions.
  • Providing childcare for children of participants.
  • Mandatory cultural sensitivity training for facilitators.
  • Offering free programming.
  • Increasing opportunities for relationship building among participants.
  • Including cultural content (mental health and parenting teachings from Elders, ceremony).

Access the full thesis here:

Email: puhachs@myumanitoba.ca