A national-level examination of First Nations peoples’ mental health data: Predicting mental well-being from social determinants of health using the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey

Abstract

Introduction: A history of colonization and assimilation have resulted in social, economic, and political disparities for Indigenous people in Canada. Decades of discriminatory policies (e.g., the Indian Act, the Residential School System) have led to numerous health and mental health inequities, which have been intergenerationally maintained. Four main social determinants of health (i.e., income, education, employment, and housing) disproportionately influence the health of Indigenous peoples. These four social determinants have also been used within the Community Well-Being (CWB) index, which assesses the socio-economic wellbeing of a community. This study sought to extend previous research by assessing how specific indicators of CWB predict self-reported mental wellbeing within First Nations populations across Canada in a national dataset with more recent data. Methods: This study utilized the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, which includes data on the social and economic conditions of First Nations people living off reserve aged 15 years and over. Results: Results from a factorial ANOVA indicated that perceptions of income security, housing satisfaction, higher education, and employment are associated with increased self-reported mental health among First Nations individuals living off-reserve. Discussion: These results support the idea that individual mental health interventions on their own are not enough; instead, broader social interventions aimed at addressing inequities in various social determinants of health (e.g., housing first initiatives) are needed to better support individual wellbeing.