Youth Discharged from Residential Mental Health Treatment: A Case Study of Four Youth Who Identify as Indigenous

Abstract

Youth with complex mental health disorders who identify as Indigenous may access residential mental health treatment (RT). There is a dearth of reports focussed on their community adaptation following RT. The purpose for this report was to explore the experiences of youth who identify as Indigenous from their perspective and that of their caregivers in a provincial region in Canada. In the original case study, 25 youth and parents participated in interviews; four of these youth identified as Indigenous. Their experiences in the year following discharge from RT indicated improved family relationships, continued problems in peer relationships, and improvements in school engagement. Implications for practice such as the need for culturally sensitive community services are discussed.

Keywords:

• Interpersonal relationships
• specialized community services
• youth who identify as indigenous