Strengthening capacity to support Indigenous youth mental health services

THUNDER BAY – A national initiative, the ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network, to enhance Indigenous youth mental health services, co-led by researchers from Lakehead University and McGill University, has received $1.45 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Lakehead’s Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, Professor in the Department of Psychology, Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, and McGill’s Dr. Srividya Iyer, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Youth, Mental Health, and Learning Health Systems and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, are leading the five-year project. This initiative will strengthen capacity amongst Indigenous communities and integrated youth services (IYS) to provide culturally affirming, high quality and responsive mental health services for Indigenous youth.

It brings together youth, Elders, family members, researchers, communities and leading Indigenous organizations, including the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation under the leadership of Dr. Carol Hopkins and the First Peoples Wellness Circle under the leadership of Dr. Brenda Restoule. Dilico Anishinabek Family Care is also a partner on the project.

“By centering Indigenous knowledge and practices, we aim to create a sustainable and culturally relevant mental health support system for Indigenous youth. This project is a testament to the power of collaboration and the wisdom of Indigenous communities, and youth, in addressing mental health challenges,” Mushquash says.

Indigenous youth in Canada have experienced significant population growth, accompanied by growing concerns about their mental health and wellbeing. Adverse childhood experiences, influenced by historical and systemic factors such as intergenerational trauma, cultural disconnection, poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage, disproportionately affect Indigenous youth. Limited access to health services, culturally inappropriate care and geographical barriers further exacerbate these challenges.

“We have an opportunity to listen to Indigenous youth and work with them to address mental health inequities by advancing practices that centre Indigenous knowledge, values and traditions in mental health and wellness services,” Iyer emphasizes.

Over the next five years, the interdisciplinary research team will focus on relationship building and the development of service practices, tools, interventions and training programs to shape a learning health system that will inform mental health and wellness service delivery for Indigenous youth across Canada. It will also help build capacity for future leaders in Indigenous communities.

“By enabling primary care providers, communities, families and youth with the tools and knowledge on how to navigate the health system, we will strengthen the capacity within Indigenous communities to ensure that youth-focused mental health resources are available to them,” Mushquash explains.

The Government of Canada recently invested $59 million in the Integrated Youth Services Network of Networks (IYS-Net) to strengthen and expand IYS across Canada. An innovative approach to youth-focused mental health, IYS provides youth with equitable access to a range of services and supports that contribute to health. This includes mental health and substance use services, alongside primary care, peer support, work and study supports, and more. Associate Professor Dr. Aislin Mushquash, Adjunct Professor Dr. Elaine Toombs, and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Carolyn Melro from Lakehead University are also members of this network.

Mushquash concludes, “Through the larger IYS-Net initiative, we have the opportunity to address mental health inequities, not just in Indigenous communities, but for youth across Canada.”

In 2023/24, Lakehead University received almost $2.5 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.

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Lakehead University
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