Northern Medical Services

Health Canada–First Nations & Inuit Health Branch

Mental Health and Wellness

Mental health and wellness encompass both the mental and emotional aspects of being – how you think and feel. Some signs of good mental health include:
Knowing and taking pride in who you are;
Enjoying life;
Being able to form and maintain satisfying relationships;
Coping with stress in a positive way;
Striving to realize your potential; and
Having a sense of personal control.

Did you know…?
Thirty percent of First Nations people have felt sad, blue or depressed for two or more weeks. (First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey, 2005)
Suicide and self-inflicted injuries are the leading causes of death for First Nations youth and adults up to 44 years of age. (A Statistical Profile on the Health of First Nations in Canada for the Year 2000, Health Canada, 2003)
First Nations youth commit suicide about five to six times more often than non-Aboriginal youth.
The suicide rate for First Nations males is 126 per 100,000 compared to 24 per 100,000 for non-Aboriginal males.

For First Nations females, the suicide rate is 35 per 100,000 compared to only 5 per 100,000 for non-Aboriginal females. (Canadian Institute of Child Health, 2000)

Suicide rates for Inuit youth are among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average

Factors Influencing Mental Health
So many factors can influence your health, including your mental health. These factors are commonly known as the determinants of health and include such things as how much money you make, how much education you have and your relationships with family and friends. For instance, supportive relationships with family and friends can make you feel cared for, loved, esteemed and valued, and as a result, have a protective effect on your health. (World Health Organization, 2003)
Historical determinants, such as the legacy of residential schools, are believed to have shaped the mental health of Aboriginal people. A research project commissioned by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation found that 75 percent of the case files for a sample of Aboriginal residential school survivors contained mental health information with the most common mental health diagnoses being post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse disorder and major depression. (Research Series, 2003)

Saskatchewan Health

Mental Health and Addictions
Saskatchewan Health strives to promote, preserve and restore the mental health of Saskatchewan residents.
We work closely with health regions to educate people about the risks associated with alcohol and drug use, and with problem gambling. A full range of treatment services is available for individuals and their families dealing with alcohol and drug addictions.

Alcohol & Drug Services

Alcohol & Drug Abuse Strategic Direction

Mental Health Services

Services for Children & Youth
New evidence on the effects of early experiences on brain development, school readiness and health in later life has sparked a growing consensus about early child development as a powerful determinant of health in its own right. At the same time, we have been learning more about how all of the other determinants of health affect the physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual development of children and youth. For example, a young person’s development is greatly affected by his or her housing and neighbourhood, family income and level of parents’ education, access to nutritious foods and physical recreation, genetic makeup and access to dental and medical care.

Evidence from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians
Experiences from conception to age six have the most important influence of any time in the life cycle on the connecting and sculpting of the brain’s neurons. Positive stimulation early in life improves learning, behaviour and health into adulthood.
Tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to poor birth outcomes. In the 1996­97 National Population Health Survey, about 36% of new mothers who were former or current smokers smoked during their last pregnancy (about 146,000 women). The vast majority of women reported that they did not drink alcohol during their pregnancy.
A loving, secure attachment between parents/caregivers and babies in the first 18 months of life helps children to develop trust, self-esteem, emotional control and the ability to have positive relationships with others in later life.
Infants and children who are neglected or abused are at higher risk for injuries, a number of behavioural, social and cognitive problems later in life, and death.
Evidence from Investing in the Health of Canadians:
A low weight at birth links with problems not just during childhood, but also in adulthood. Research shows a strong relationship between income level of the mother and the baby’s birth weight. The effect occurs not just for the most economically disadvantaged group. Mothers at each step up the income scale have babies with higher birth weights, on average, than those on the step below. This tells us the problems are not just a result of poor maternal nutrition and poor health practices associated with poverty, although the most serious problems occur in the lowest income group. It seems that factors such as coping skills and sense of control and mastery over life circumstances also come into play.  Source: Health Canada: Key Determinants of Health

Kids First North

The KidsFirst NORTH program serves 12 communities in Northern Saskatchewan. As such it is the only regional KidsFirst program in Saskatchewan with challenges like no other program: extensive travel distances, lack of employment opportunities, lack of facilities, and absence of other supports often taken for granted and found in southern parts of the Province. Development of the program and implementation has been based on what is needed for families within Northern Saskatchewan, as well as what works and is sustainable over time.
KFN celebrated its 5th year of operation on January 1, 2007. The program has seen significant progress made within its communities, its northern families and their children.
Feel free to call our toll free number with questions and comments.  1-877-670-KIDS

The Youth Drug Detoxification and Stablization Act of Saskatchewan