Adversity and resilience science最新文献

Community-based and culturally grounded research, led by Indigenous scholars, is critical for the prevention and intervention of health risks such as substance use and misuse in Indigenous communities. However, Indigenous scholars encounter numerous adversities to success in academia. This manuscript describes an Indigenous Writing Retreat (IWR) guided by Native Hawaiian worldview and ontology held in Hawaiʻi in Spring 2022 to empower eleven Indigenous scholars and four mentors through cultivating their Form (intellectual knowledge) and Essence (expression of true intention and authentic feeling). Intentions of this gathering were as follows: (1) Hoʻoulu a Hoʻomōhalahala ʻIke: inspire growth/develop knowledge and insight; (2) Hōʻola i ka Nohona Kanaka: give life to cultural identity and native intelligence; (3) Hoʻopono: cleanse and let go; and (4) Hoʻohana Pilina: relationship building with each other, land, and spirit. Intentions were achieved through six methods: (1) academic writing; (2) Indigenous Cultural Orientation and Protocol; (3) honor and pay respect for people and land; (4) cultural tools and ceremony; (5) create a “Safe Space”; and (6) community building. This story conveys the IWR impact on scholars, mentors, and community hosts, including kūpuna (Elders)/leaders/cultural practitioners via a survey, email exchanges, and “talk story” sessions with them. Four relational actions (recommendations) for future IWRs are presented using the acronym PONO: Preparation, Observation, Navigation, and Oneness. This IWR is offered as a gift to all Indigenous nations to inspire and guide relational exchanges and cultivate Indigenous leadership in substance use research, collective well-being, and resilience by centering Indigenous worldviews and methodologies.

While Indigenous communities have thrived for centuries despite colonization, Indigenous Peoples continue to experience high rates of sexual victimization and are rarely included in sexual assault prevention and intervention research. Given the common risk factors associated with experiencing sexual assault, including substance use, it is vital to understand the unique strengths and challenges of Indigenous young adults to inform prevention and intervention efforts. The goal of this study was to simultaneously examine resilience and risk factors associated with sexual assault using a multi-methods design. First, a large, national, quantitative survey to assess sexual assault–related mental health needs was conducted among Indigenous college students at 8 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and 50 predominantly White institutions (PWIs), which resulted in a sample of n = 401 survey participants. Qualitative interviews (n = 14) were then conducted to complement the survey data from the perspective of Indigenous college students. Quantitatively, participants reported high levels of trauma history and, importantly, high levels of resilience and low levels of overall substance use compared to national heavy alcohol use guidelines. Qualitatively, findings suggest that Indigenous college students find strength in cultural and community engagement and recognize systemic inequities that contribute to sexual violence and substance use. This research provides a deeper understanding of the strengths possessed by Indigenous Peoples to help protect against substance use and sexual violence. Current findings help inform future research directions for developing culturally relevant sexual violence prevention and intervention programs coupled with substance use reduction.

Research in Indigenous communities continues to lead innovations in the adversity and resilience sciences. These innovations highlight the strengths of Indigenous communities and are an act of resistance against prevailing stereotypes that Indigenous communities are vulnerable and wholly restrained by health deficits. The aim of this Supplemental Issue on Substance Misuse and Disorder and American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Children’s Development: Understanding Root Causes and Lifting up Solutions Grounded in Indigenous Community Strengths is to highlight the promising new approaches and perspectives implemented by a group of engaged researchers and their community partners, as they seek to move resilience science research forward. Case studies presented in this issue are from projects led by teams connected to the Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) conference, all of whom conduct health promotion and disease prevention research among American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Sparked by several major exogenous shocks to the current landscape of the American milieu, namely, the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd (increased visibility of overt racism in the USA), and climate change, this article presents a model for conducting research with Indigenous Communities that acknowledges these forces while highlighting community strengths.