Eva Peng
Research Mentor: Joseph Gardella
Mentor Department: School of Social Work, Social Work
Author(s): Tyler Favier, Joseph Gardella
Session: Session 5 (2:00 PM – 2:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 53
Abstract
American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities experience disproportionately high rates of alcohol-related problems (ARPs), trauma, and health inequities, in large part, due to the ongoing impacts of colonization, systemic racism, and limited access to culturally relevant behavioral health services. Many conventional Western recovery programs fail to incorporate Indigenous cultural identity, spirituality, community-based healing, and particularly culturally appropriate conceptions of wellness, which limit their effectiveness and engagement. This study focuses on this gap by analyzing qualitative interview data from Lakota adults (n=13) about the features of a Lakota-led lifespan mentoring program that contribute to its effectiveness for Lakota relatives. We completed qualitative thematic content coding of interview transcripts. Our analyses identify multiple effectiveness features broadly under the following categories: comprehensiveness, varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, theory-driven, positive relationships, appropriate timing, sociocultural relevance, and well-trained staff. analyses identify multiple effectiveness features broadly under the following categories: comprehensiveness, varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, theory driven, positive relationships, appropriate timing, sociocultural relevance, and well-trained staff. These preliminary findings help us understand what about this Lakota mentoring program contributes to effectiveness for a population where Western approaches have fallen short. More broadly, it suggests that Indigenous approaches and perspectives might be useful to consider alongside Western models and particularly emphasize the importance of culturally grounded and community-based understandings of wellness. This study contributes to the expansion of indigenous-adapted behavioral health research and has implications for designing culturally embedded ARP interventions in tribal communities. Moreover, these results are informing a second round of deeper interviews and also future evaluation research of this program.
