Citation

Brown RA, Dickerson DL, Klein DJ, Agniel D, Johnson CL, D'Amico EJ. Youth Soc. 2021; 53(1): 54-75.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0044118x19840048

PMID

34176991

Abstract

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit multiple health disparities, including high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, violence and delinquency, and mental health problems. Approximately 70% of AI/AN youth reside in urban areas, where negative outcomes on behavioral health and well-being are often high. Identity development may be particularly complex in urban settings, where youth may face more fragmented and lower density AI/AN communities, as well as mixed racial-ethnic ancestry and decreased familiarity with AI/AN lifeways. This study examines racial-ethnic and cultural identity among AI/AN adolescents and associations with behavioral health and well-being by analyzing quantitative data collected from a baseline assessment of 185 AI/AN urban adolescents from California who were part of a substance use intervention study. Adolescents who identified as AI/AN on their survey reported better mental health, less alcohol and marijuana use, lower rates of delinquency, and increased happiness and spiritual health.

Language: en

Keywords

delinquency; health; alcohol and drug use/abuse/addiction; racial/ethnic identity; spirituality