American Indians/Alaskan Natives

As a group, Indians/Natives face a number of challenges. The rate of poverty of Indians/Natives is more than twice the national average and unemployment among Indians/Natives is 2.5 times higher. Life expectancy is 6 years lower than the national average and the rate of violent victimization is twice as high. Historical traumas, including forced relocations and cultural assimilation, broken treaties, and other social, economic, and political injustices continue to affect Indian/Native communities.

Mental Health Issues

Indians/Natives experience most mental disorders in rates similar to the overall population.  However, recent research suggests that Indians/Natives experience far greater psychological distress than the general population and are at greater risk for some mental disorders.

The most significant mental health concerns among Indians/Natives today are depression, substance abuse, and anxiety, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In some Indian groups, but not all, alcoholism and illicit drug use disorder rates are much higher than U.S. average. Even among groups of Indians/Natives with high rates of alcohol abuse, most Indian people are not alcoholics.   

Cultural factors can influence how people feel or describe mental illnesses and their acceptance of mental illness and treatment. Among Indians/Native people, the concept of mental illness has different meanings and interpretations. Often physical concerns and psychological concerns are not separated and emotional distress may be expressed in different ways.

Many Indians/Natives have difficulty accessing mental health services because of economic barriers, social and cultural differences, mistrust, and the lack of providers. With proper treatment, most symptoms of mental illness can be controlled. If mental illness is a concern for you or someone you care about, mental health services are available.