This study investigated internalizing and externalizing symptoms as potential mediators of the relationship between perceived discrimination and early substance use among 195 American Indian 5th through 8th graders from three reservations that share a common culture (e.g., language, spiritual beliefs, and traditional practices) in the upper Midwest.
discrimination
Substance Use Among American Indians and Alaska Natives: Incorporating Culture in an “Indigenist” Stress-Coping Paradigm
This article proposes a new stress-coping model for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIs) that reflects a paradigmatic shift in the conceptualization of Native health. It reviews sociodemographic information on AIs, rates of substance abuse and related health outcomes, and the research supporting the model’s pathways.