Indigenous Issues

So many factors can influence your health, including your mental health. These factors are commonly known as the determinants of health and include such things as how much money you make, how much education you have and your relationships with family and friends. For instance, supportive relationships with family and friends can make you feel cared for, loved, esteemed and valued, and as a result, have a protective effect on your health.

Historical determinants, such as the legacy of residential schools, are believed to have shaped the mental health of Aboriginal people. A research project commissioned by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation found that 75 percent of the case files for a sample of Aboriginal residential school survivors contained mental health information with the most common mental health diagnoses being post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse disorder and major depression.

Indigenous Issues Dream Catcher in sunlight

If You Are In Crisis:

If you’re experiencing emotional distress and want to talk, call the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310. It’s toll-free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This is a National toll-free number that provides immediate, culturally competent, telephone crisis intervention counselling support for First Nations and Inuit, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counsellors can also work with callers to identify follow-up services they can access. Counselling is available in English and French and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktut.
Mental health and wellness encompass both the mental and emotional aspects of being – how you think and feel. Some signs of good mental health include:
  • Knowing and taking pride in who you are;
  • Enjoying life;
  • Being able to form and maintain satisfying relationships;
  • Coping with stress in a positive way;
  • Striving to realize your potential; and
  • Having a sense of personal control.

For more long term care, contact a First Nations and Inuit Health Regional Office.

Indigenous Mental Health Resources

National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy

Health Canada is committed to assisting First Nations and Inuit communities to achieve better health with several mental health-related programs and services:

The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health

A national Indigenous organization established in 2005 by the Government of Canada and funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis public health renewal and health equity through knowledge translation and exchange.

First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework – Summary Report

A coordinated, comprehensive approach to mental health and addictions programming, which respects the model of whole health – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic well-being.

Honouring Life Network

The Honouring Life Network is a project of the National Aboriginal Health Organization. The Web site offers culturally relevant information and resources on suicide prevention to help Aboriginal youth and youth workers dealing with a problem that has reached crisis proportions in some First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada.

Aboriginal Youth Network

Check out their Health Centre for information covering a variety of health topics, including mental health, depression, suicide, eating disorders and addictions.

Stop Family Violence

Family violence affects us all. It has negative social, financial and health impacts on those directly involved, as well as on their friends and family, colleagues, community and society at large.

Centre for Suicide Prevention

Check out this link for more information on suicide prevention, and to learn about training opportunities.

Think Before You Share  PDF Guide

To help Aboriginal teens make smart decisions when sharing online, Facebook, MediaSmarts and APTN partnered to translate the Think Before You Share guide into three common Aboriginal languages: Ojibwe, Cree and Inuktitut.