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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2015 Sep 1;106(6):e375–e381. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.106.4923

Mental health and substance use in an urban First Nations population in Hamilton, Ontario

Michelle Firestone 17,✉, Janet Smylie 17,27, Sylvia Maracle 37, Constance McKnight 47, Michael Spiller 47,57, Patricia O’Campo 67
PMCID: PMC6972211  PMID: 26680428

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Mental health and substance use have been identified as health priorities currently facing Indigenous peoples in Canada; however, accessible and culturally relevant population health data for this group are almost non-existent. The aim of the Our Health Counts study was to generate First Nations adult population health data in partnership with the De dwa da dehs ney>s Aboriginal Health Access Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.

METHODS: Analysis involved data gathered through respondent-driven sampling. Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were generated for diagnosis and treatment of a psychological disorder or mental illness, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, alcohol and substance use, and access to emotional support.

RESULTS: Of the 554 First Nations adults who participated in the Our Health Counts study in Hamilton, 42% had been told by a health care worker that they had a psychological and/or mental health disorder. High rates of depression (39%) and PTSD (34%), as well as suicide ideation (41%) and attempts (51%) were reported. Half of the sample reported marijuana use in the previous 12 months, and 19% reported the use of cocaine and opiates.

CONCLUSION: First Nations adults living in Hamilton experience a disproportionate burden of mental health and addictions. By working in partnership with urban Aboriginal organizations, it is possible to produce policy- and service-relevant data and address the current deficiency in appropriate mental health and substance use services for urban Aboriginal people.

Key Words: Canada, urban Aboriginal health, First Nations, community-based research, respondent driven sampling, mental health, substance use

Mots Clés: Canada, santé autochtone en milieu urbain, Premières Nations, recherche communautaire, échantillonnage en fonction des répondants, santé mentale, consommation de substances

Footnotes

Funding: This project was funded by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC), the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) Aboriginal Health Transition Fund, and the Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH) at St. Michael’s Hospital. J. Smylie was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator in Knowledge Translation award during the course of the project. Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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