Flourishing: American Indian Positive Mental Health

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Positive mental health (PMH) is crucial for understanding the mental health spectrum.
• Socially disadvantaged groups sometimes exhibit high PMH despite negative experiences like discrimination.
• Research on PMH in American Indian adults, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of PMH in American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes.
• To identify culturally relevant factors associated with PMH in this population.
• To explore the relationship between discrimination, traditional activities, and PMH.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 218 American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes.
• Assessed PMH, depression (using PHQ-9), perceived discrimination, and participation in traditional cultural activities.
• Statistical analyses to examine associations between variables.

Main Results:

• 51.5% of participants reported flourishing PMH, despite 17.1% meeting criteria for depression.
• Perceived discrimination was negatively associated with PMH.
• Participation in traditional cultural activities was positively associated with PMH.
• Traditional activities did not buffer the negative impact of discrimination on PMH.

Conclusions:

• American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes exhibit substantial flourishing PMH.
• Perceived discrimination negatively impacts PMH, while traditional activities support it.
• Strengths-based approaches are valuable for research in American Indian communities.
• Findings contribute to understanding PMH correlates in a vulnerable population.