The Mental Health of Indigenous Perinatal Individuals, Associations of Parent and Offspring Psychopathology, and Offspring Risk and Well-being

Abstract

Objectives: To examine perinatal mental health, mechanisms of psychopathology transmission from parent to offspring, and offspring risk and well-being among Indigenous peoples by: 1) synthesizing the prevalence of perinatal mental health challenges among Indigenous perinatal individuals, 2) examining the association of psychopathology among Indigenous parent-offspring dyads, and 3) identifying factors associated with First Nations children’s well-being Methods: Four studies were designed to address these objectives. Study 1 meta-analyzed studies on mental health challenges among Indigenous pregnant and postpartum individuals. Study 2 used data from administrative health databases to identify the prevalence and determinants of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among Métis pregnant persons in Alberta, Canada. Study 3 systematically synthesized studies on the association of Indigenous parent and offspring psychopathology. Study 4 used data from the 2006 Aboriginal Children’s Survey to identify determinants of First Nations children’s socioemotional and behavioural well-being Results: In Study 1, Indigenous perinatal individuals were at a 62% increased risk of a mental health challenge compared to non-Indigenous individuals. In Study 2, Métis pregnant persons were more likely to have depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder than non-Métis pregnant persons. Factors associated with both depression and anxiety included having pre-pregnancy medical conditions, smoking/alcohol use/recreational substance use during pregnancy, and living in an urban location. In Study 3, offspring of Indigenous parents with mental health challenges were 2-4 times more likely to experience psychopathology compared to offspring of healthy Indigenous parents. In Study 4, knowledge of an Indigenous culture and strong community cohesion were associated with better well-being among First Nations children Conclusion: This work highlights the importance of reducing mental health challenges among Indigenous birthing parents and children and lends insight into cultural factors that can be used to promote the well-being of young First Nations children.