Resilience and Protective Factors for Mental Health among Indigenous Youth in Canada

A Scoping Review

Bibliographic Data

ID24032091
AuthorsHwayeon Danielle Shin (0000-0003-4037-4464, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, corresponding author), Lyman Carrier (0000-0001-7632-2629, Dalhousie University), Jessy Dame (Vancouver Coastal Health), Juliane Dame (0000-0002-3969-6581, Vancouver Coastal Health), Michelle Padley (University of Victoria), Michelle A Padley (Harm Reduction Services), Anika Daclan (Dalhousie University), Helen Wong (0000-0001-6827-0662, Dalhousie University), Ronessa Dass (0000-0001-8229-9154, McMaster University), Rachel Anne Dorey (University of Alberta), Rachel Dorey (0000-0001-8400-6714, Dalhousie University), Emma Stirling-Cameron (0000-0001-9388-2556, University of British Columbia), Jodi Langley (Dalhousie University), Jill Langley (0000-0002-8128-8071, Dalhousie University), Janet A Curran (Dalhousie University), Janet Curran (0000-0001-9977-0467, Dalhousie University)
Year2026
Pages13634615261471972-13634615261471972
Publication date2026-08-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTranscultural Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1363-4615 • E-ISSN: 1461-7471
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/13634615261471972
PMID42593262
OpenAlexW4401356467
LanguageEN
References cited94

Indigenous youth's strength and resilience play a vital role in their well-being and mental health. Protective factors, closely linked to resilience, spanning individual, family, and community levels reinforce positive mental health outcomes. The purpose of the current scoping review was to summarize the available literature that describes resilience and/or protective factors promoting mental health and well-being among Indigenous youth in Canada. As a secondary objective, this review investigated community involvement reported in the identified sources. JBI scoping review methodology was followed, and the search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINHAL, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Scopus commenced in August 2021, and was updated in February 2023. A targeted Google search was also conducted to identify eligible gray literature. A total of 61 papers were included in the data extraction. The types of sources identified were observational ( n = 22), participatory action research ( n = 11), mixed/multi-methods ( n = 10), qualitative ( n = 9), case study ( n = 4), quasi-experimental ( n = 1), experimental ( n = 1), and other designs such as quality improvement and program evaluation ( n = 3). In addition, only a handful of included studies reported use of an Indigenous-specific approach, such as Two-Eyed seeing. Protective and resilience factors were identified across various levels such as individual ( n = 52), interpersonal ( n = 37), and wider environmental beyond social systems ( n = 37) levels. Forty studies described community involvement, which included non-specified community members, like friends or citizens ( n = 21), youth ( n = 19), Indigenous community members such as leaders and workers ( n = 14), and Elders ( n = 11). These groups were engaged to varying degrees, functioning either as equal collaborators, consultants, or, in some instances, as decision-makers.

Biology · Environmental health · Geography · Indigenous · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological resilience · Resilience (materials science) · Child Abuse and Trauma · Ecology · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Medicine · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology · Gerontology