Drug overdose deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives grew 43% between 2019 and 2020—the highest rate of deaths in 2020 and 30% higher than for white individuals. Suicides were the second leading cause of death for that group in 2019, with a rate around 20% higher than that of non-Hispanic Whites.
But now, the federal government is trying to direct more money toward policies meant to help the unique population that has long suffered from mental health challenges, advocates say.
“You’ve got to notice when these very high-consequence drug issues are coming into our tribal nations,” such as skyrocketing opioid and methamphetamine use, said Melissa Walls, a researcher at John Hopkins University who comes from an indigenous background.
“Health inequities are already persistent. Layer on top of it Covid-19 and the fact that Covid is creating more issues with mental health and substance use,” she said. “It’s very heavy and very hard.”
Now, Congress and the Biden administration are trying to offer more money to treat substance use and mental health issues for long-underserved American Indian communities.
“There is a sea change coming, and that’s exciting,” said Brenna Greenfield, a University of Minnesota Medical School professor working in indigenous health equity.
Native American mental health was previously “overlooked or addressed in culturally incongruent ways,” but it’s now “being discussed nationally and better funded from state to national levels,” she said.
Historically, mental health treatment has come in a one-size-fits-all approach that aligned more with Western European than indigenous values. Decades of prejudice and poor policy have left many from tribal backgrounds lacking in professional and other opportunities, making the problem worse.
While researchers welcome more funding and a greater focus on health equity as a needed boost, there’s a long road ahead for greater health equity.
Read more at News.BloombergLaw.com.
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