Poster #84 - Anxiety and Depression in Northern Plains American Indian Youth: Evidence for Resilience and Risk

• In Event: Poster Session 05

Abstract

Anxiety and depression are inherently connected to mental health inequities found in American Indian (AI) populations, as core symptoms of PTSD, potential precursors of suicidal behaviors, or bidirectional correlates of substance use (Brockie et al., 2015; Manzo et al., 2015; Warne & Lajimodiere, 2015). However, our understanding of internalizing symptoms and possible protective and risk factors among AI youth living on a reservation is not clear. We used a community-based participatory research approach to assess anxiety and depression among AI 3rd-6th graders living on a Northern Plains reservation and examine associations with anxiety control beliefs (protective) and rumination (risk). Drawing from resilience models of development for children of color (García Coll et al., 1996) and past studies with anxiety control beliefs and rumination among AI and ethnic-minority youth (Tucker et al., 2016; Weems et al., 2015), we hypothesized:

1. Most AI youth would experience minimal anxiety and depression.
2. Anxiety control beliefs would be negatively related to anxiety and depression.
3. Rumination would be positively related to anxiety and depression.
4. Age would moderate relations between anxiety control beliefs and both anxiety and depression, such that there would be only a relation for older youth.

Our Cultural Advisory Board was involved in study design, reviewing all survey items for cultural- and age-appropriateness, and interpretation of findings. Our tribal research team (enrolled tribal members) collected data from 71 AI 3rd-6th graders (8-13-years-old; 62.3% female) in a tribal school, caregivers, and teachers. All reporters completed the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales for Children-25 (Ebesutani et al., 2012) to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms and youth completed the Anxiety Control Questionnaire for Children-10 (Weems, 2005) and Child Response Style Questionnaire (Abela, Brozina, & Haigh, 2002) to assess anxiety control beliefs and rumination, respectively.

Results showed 7.3% and 8.7% of AI youth reported clinical levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. Anxiety control beliefs were lower in older compared to younger AI youth (r = -.27, p < .01) and negatively related to youth-reported anxiety (r = -.31, p < .01) and depression (r = -.40, p < .01), while rumination was positively related to youth-reported anxiety (r = .68, p < .01) and depression (r = .71, p < .01) and positively related to teacher-reported anxiety (r = .34, p < .01). Age moderated relations between anxiety control beliefs and both youth-reported anxiety (b = -.21, S.E. = .08, p < .01; Figure 1) and depression (b = -.16, S.E. = .08, p < .05; Figure 2) with only significant relations found for older youth.

Our findings demonstrate the potential resilience toward anxiety and depression among AI youth living on a Northern Plains reservation. Results also suggest that anxiety control beliefs and rumination may serve as protective and risk factors, respectively, for anxiety and depression in AI youth. Replication of our findings in AI youth from other tribal communities is the next step to better understanding anxiety and depression and their relation to anxiety control beliefs and rumination across heterogeneous AI cultural contexts.

Authors

• Brandon Glynn Scott, Montana State University
  Presenting Author

• Laurie SunChild

• Cara Small

• Jennifer McCullen