Barriers to Providing Effective Mental Health Services to American Indians

A cultural framework is presented in order to understand the mental health care needs of American Indians and barriers to providing effective mental health services to American Indians are discussed.

Abstract

Like most indigenous populations throughout the world who have undergone innumerable cultural changes, the mental health care needs of American Indians are great. Some surveys conducted by the Indian Health Service show high rates of suicide, mortality, depression and substance abuse. Little is known about effective mental health care among American Indians due, in part, to the lack of culturally appropriate models of mental health in American Indians. This article presents a cultural framework in order to understand the mental health care needs of American Indians and discusses barriers to providing effective mental health services to American Indians.