Substance Abuse/Addiction in Native American Youth

Although the Native American Indian population of the United States is relatively small in comparison to other ethnic groups, Native American Indians struggle disproportionately with a vast range of health and social issues. Among these issues, substance abuse problems leave a glaring blemish on this population that cannot be ignored. Evidence of high prevalence of substance abuse can be more visibly seen among the Native American Indian youth. Among American Indian adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, higher rates in the use of cigarettes (16.8 percent compared to 10.2 percent), marijuana (13.8 percent compared to 6.9 percent), and nonmedical uses of prescription drugs (6.1 percent compared to 3.3 percent) are exhibited when compared to the national average.  Statistics such as these are not as well-known as they should be, and it is for that reason that the Ethnicity and Health in America Series is and will continue raising awareness about substance abuse/addiction among the Native American Indian populations.

Nancy Whitesell, PhD

We are featuring the work of Nancy Whitesell, PhD, who is an associate professor, University of Colorado, Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, Colorado School of Public Health. Her work focuses on using developmental science and community/university partnerships to improve outcomes for Native youth. She works with a Northern Plains reservation community on several projects funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), partnering to build research infrastructure and provide training opportunities (RC4DA029974, Whitesell & Beals, PIs), to examine risk for substance use, particularly early initiation of use (R01DA027665, Whitesell, PI), and, most recently, to culturally adapt and test an evidence-based substance use prevention program for young adolescents (R01DA035111, Whitesell, PI). This work involves the collaborative efforts of a large team of researchers at the University of Colorado, both in the Colorado office and the university's field office on the reservation.

Additionally, Whitesell co-directs the Native Children's Research Exchangeopens in new window funded by NIDA (R13DA029391, Whitesell & Sarche, PIs; and HHSN271201200692P, Whitesell & Sarche, PIs) to provide opportunities for sharing research findings related to American Indian and Alaska Native children and adolescents, building collaborative relationships, and mentoring Native researchers and students.  She is also director of research and measurement for the  Tribal Early Childhood Research Centeropens in new window (TRC), funded by the Administration for Children and Families (90PH0017, Novins, PI). The TRC works with Tribal Head Start, home visitation, and child care grantees to support early childhood research within American Indian and Alaska Native communities and build local capacity for community-engaged research.

Reference

Drug Abuse & Native American Indian Youth. (2014, Jan. 1). Retrieved Oct. 6, 2014, from https://dodgingbullets.org/drug-abuse-native-american-indian-youth/opens in new window

Trajectories of Substance Use among Young American Indian Adolescents: Patterns and Predictors

2014
Whitesell, N.
Asdigian, N.
Kaufman, C.
Big Crow, C.
Shangreau, C.
Keane, E.
Mousseau, A.
Mitchell, C.

Preface, by Nancy Whitesell, PhD: Patterns of substance use in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities often differ markedly from those in the United States as a whole. Lifetime rates of alcohol, marijuana and other drug use are generally lower in AIAN communities than in the general population (higher rates of abstinence); in contrast, rates of substance use disorder are often inordinately high. Problematic patterns of substance use are often linked to early initiation of use, and in many AIAN communities, youth begin using substances markedly earlier than their peers in other communities. Identifying factors that put AIAN children and young adolescents at risk for early initiation will be critical to designing prevention programs that can effectively delay initiation and set these youth on a healthier course. Using a developmental perspective is especially important in understanding the window of risk in early adolescence and how risk relates to unfolding use over time. This study utilized growth mixture modeling of longitudinal data to estimate trajectories of cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use among young adolescents on a large Northern Plains reservation, identified latent classes of adolescents characterized by different trajectories (e.g., persistent nonuse, experimental use, escalating use), and examined risk and protective factors (social, cultural, developmental) associated with divergent developmental patterns. Findings hold promise for guiding effective prevention programs tailored for American Indian youth.

In honor of National Native American Heritage Month in November, ERCA will sponsor a webinar through its Ethnicity and Health in America Series (EHAS) to raise awareness about the psychological impact of substance abuse and addiction. Walter Hillabrant, PhD, will be the guest speaker for the upcoming webinar. Hillabrant (enrolled in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation) is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years experience in behavioral health, clinical psychology, and addiction treatment ; primarily in “Indian country.” The webinar will be broadcasted live on Nov. 13, 2014, from 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Please check our website for updated information and link to the broadcast.