Aboriginal World Views of Mental Health

1
Aboriginal World Views of Mental Health

• Cyndy Baskin, PhD
• School of Social Work
• Ryerson University
• July 6, 2007
• JEMH Conference

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Questions To Consider

• HOW DO ABORIGINAL WORLD VIEWS CONCEPTUALIZE
  MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING?
• WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WHEN DIFFERING
  PERSPECTIVES LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING?
• UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS CAN WESTERN TREATMENT AND
  ABORIGINAL APPROACHES WORK WELL TOGETHER?

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Overall Approach

• ADVOCATE FOR WORKING CLOSELY AND IN A
  COMPLEMENTARY MANNER WITH ABORIGINAL HEALERS IN
  TRAINING, CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT
• ACCEPT THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS MAY HAVE
  SPIRITUAL CAUSES OR BIOLOGICAL CAUSES AND THAT
  BOTH ABORIGINAL AND WESTERN MEDICINE HAVE THE
  POTENTIAL TO HELP
• EURO-CANADIAN HELPERS NEED TO BE RESPECTFUL,
  COOPERATIVE AND WORK WITHIN A MODALITY WHICH
  INCLUDES TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL HEALING METHODS
• CHOICE FOR A SERVICE USER IS CENTRAL WITHIN
  HEALING/TREATMENT

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Mental Health Struggles

• DEPRESSION
• PHOBIAS AND ANXIETIES
• POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
• SCHIZOPHRENIA, BI-POLAR PSYCHOSIS

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Challenges

• DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING TRUST
• IMPACTS OF COLONIZATION
• SERVICES FITTING INTO THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY,
  RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND
• DIFFERENCES IN WORLD VIEWS
• TEAM WORKING AS A COLLECTIVE BEING
  SELF-REFLEXIVE

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Aboriginal Approaches

• HOLISTIC
• CULTURE-BASED
• IDENTITY
• IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS
• SPIRITUALITY
• FAMILY COMMUNITY BASED

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Interconnectedness Four Aspects of a Person
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InterconnectednessTo All in Creation
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Working Together

• CALMING GROUNDING TOWARDS INFORMED CHOICE
• CONTRIBUTIONS OF CEREMONIES
• CONTRIBUTIONS OF WESTERN PRACTITIONERS

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Meegwetch (thank you)

• WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?