Pilot Project, Year 5
Native Spirit: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a culturally grounded after-school program
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth have the highest rates of lifetime major depressive episodes and, in 2017, AIANs (ages 15-19) had twice as many suicides compared to White adolescents. Major depression and suicide are often co-occurring with substance use disorder (SUD) and AIANs experience disproportionately high rates of lifetime SUD with peak prevalence rates at 16 years of age. These data demonstrate the need for early intervention to promote health among AIAN adolescents.
AIAN adolescents who are culturally engaged experience positive health outcomes when compared to those who are not culturally engaged. Culturally grounded after-school programs (ASPs) are a proven strategy to promote well-being for AIAN youth. This study partners with ASPs serving AIAN youth to assess the impact of a 10-session intervention designed to enhance protective factors associated with adolescent behavioral health including decreasing substance use.
Study aims
- Strengthen self-esteem, resilience, and cultural identity.
- Attenuate substance use among urban AIAN youth (grades 7-12) through participation in a culturally grounded ASP, named Native Spirit (NS).
This study uses a mixed-methods waitlist control design to evaluate the impact of participation in the NS program. The study measures changes to participant self-esteem, cultural identity, self-esteem, and substance use using pre- and post-test self-report surveys and participant interviews.
This study provides an innovative connection between cultural engagement and health outcomes for AIAN youth and also highlights unique opportunities for health promotion with collaborations with ASPs that serve AIAN communities.
Funding: The study is funded by NIMHD/NIH 5U54MD012388
About the investigators
Publications Accordion Closed
Hunter, A.M. and Tippeconic, M. J. (2020). Strengthening the link between education policy culturally responsive schooling, and American Indian and Alaska Native Health. Journal of Indigenous Early Childhood Education. 1(1).
Hunter, A.M., Richards, J., Camplain, C., Ali-Joseph, A. (2022). Between two worlds: Impacts of COVID-19 on the AI/AN health research workforce. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research.
Hunter, A.M., Carlos, M., Muniz, F.B., Lameman, B., Nuno, V.L., Fox, M.J., Carvajal, S., Yuan, N. (2022). Participation in a Culturally-grounded Program Strengthens Cultural Identity, Self-esteem, and Resilience in Urban Indigenous Adolescents. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research.
Hunter, A.M., Carlos, M., Nuno, V.L., Fox, M.J., Carvajal, S., Yuan, N. (2022). Native Spirit: Development of a culturally-grounded after-school program to promote wellbeing among American Indian adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology.
O’Keefe, V.M.; Fish, J.; Maudrie, T.L.; Hunter, A.M.; Tai Rakena, H.G.; Ullrich, J.S.; Clifford, C.; Crawford, A.; Brockie, T.; Walls, M.; et al. Centering Indigenous Knowledges and Worldviews: Applying the Indigenist Ecological Systems Model to Youth Mental Health and Wellness Research and Programs. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6271.
Solomon, T.A., Jones, D., Laurila, K., Ritchey, J., Hunter, A.M., Villanueva, B. (2021). Using the Community Readiness Model to Assess American Indian Communities Readiness to Address Cancer Prevention and Control Programs and Cancer Research. Journal of Cancer Education.
Media Accordion Closed
Expanding Native Spirit (July 12, 2022)
Amanda Hunter: Investing in Indigenous Youth through Native Spirit (Nov. 18, 2021)
CHER welcomes Amanda Hunter (June 1, 2020)