A Community Partnership to Explore Mental Health Services in First Nations Communities in Nova Scotia (Qualitative Research) (Report‪)‬

Nationally, mental health has been identified as the top health priority by the Assembly of First Nations. (1,2) Regionally, the Mi'Kmaq Health Research Group has identified areas for improvement, a major one being mental health services. (3) In Nova Scotia, 73% of Mi'kmaq people live in First Nations communities, and analgesics, sedatives and antidepressants are the highest category of drug claims in this population. (4) While several studies have investigated Aboriginal mental health and services related to suicide and substance abuse, (5-7) minimal research has been done specifically about mental illness. (8) Current best practices recognize that psychiatric rehabilitation models framed under assumptions based on metropolitan urban areas are problematic. (9) Further, the literature stresses the need to integrate and coordinate an interdisciplinary team approach (10) and to address the cultural appropriateness and relevance of services. (11-13) Most significantly, Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge remain largely absent from the dominant discourse around mental health care. This arises from the socio-political marginalization of Aboriginal people and the design of services for individuals with severe mental illness (3% of the Canadian population), which fail to address the unique and complex concerns of Aboriginal communities. (14)