Prevalence of Major Stressful Life Events and Mental Health Symptoms of American Indian andalaska Native Adolescents in Hawai'i

Abstract

While progress has been made in learning more about American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who reside in Hawai'i, much more research is needed regarding adolescents' mental health and the major life events that they encounter. Utilizing a large cross-sequential epidemiologic design (N = 7,214; 1992-1996), this study found AI/AN-Hawaiian youth self-reported higher risk of predominantly negative major life events and mental health symptoms than for the non-Indigenous adolescent ethnic group, with the AI/AN and Native Hawaiian ethnic groups falling generally in between. However, when statistically controlling for covariates, overall, Native Hawaiian youth self-reported higher mental-health-symptom risk than the other three ethnic groups. Implications are discussed, including protective factors, prevention, and future research.