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Research Article
Historical trauma, substance use, and mental health symptoms among a sample of urban American Indians
1 Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
2 Associate Dean of Research, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
3 Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Address correspondence to:
Nicholas Guenzel
Lincoln, Nebraska,
USA
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Article ID: 100016P13NG2022
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How to cite this article
Guenzel N, Dai HD, Dean L. Historical trauma, substance use, and mental health symptoms among a sample of urban American Indians. Edorium J Psychol 2022;6(2):1–8.ABSTRACT
Aims: Little research has examined historical trauma (HT), addiction, and mental health problems among general populations of urban American Indians (AIs). This study examined associations to help fill this gap.
Methods:This is a secondary analysis of data from a Midwestern urban AI population. Based on a psychological inventory, participants (n=117) were separated into a substance group (n=19), a psychiatric group (n=43), and a control group (n=55). Results of the historical loss scale (HLS, 12 items) and the historical loss-associated symptoms scale (HLASS, 12 items) were examined between the groups.
Results:The psychiatric group reported thinking about three specific losses more than the control group and six specific losses more than the substance group. No significant differences were found between the substance group and the control group. The psychiatric group reported nine historical loss-associated symptoms more frequently than the control group. The substance group reported experiencing five symptoms more frequently than the control group. The substance group reported one symptom more frequently than the psychiatric group.
Conclusion:Historical trauma appears to affect individuals with psychiatric or substance problems differently from those with no problems. American Indians with psychiatric or substance problems report experiencing some HLAS more often than individuals without these problems. The direction of this relationship is unclear, but it is apparent that historical loss thoughts and symptoms likely affect individuals with psychiatric and substance problems differently than the general public. Providers need to be attuned to these results to understand the experiences of their AI patients.
Keywords: American Indian, Mental health, Native American, Substance use
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions
Nicholas Guenzel - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Hongying Daisy Dai - Analysis of data, Drafting the article, Final approval of the version to be published
Lyndsay Dean - Interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guaranter of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2022 Nicholas Guenzel et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
