Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities

Introduction

For my work, I chose a Native American ethnic group. The battle for the rights of indigenous and tiny peoples worldwide began in the twentieth century. However, the current state of these populations cannot be defined as happy. They face discrimination even in established democracies like the United States and Australia (Skewes & Blume, 2019).

The history of American Indians has long been an example of Western society’s duplicity, which has nearly entirely killed the indigenous population. However, this is merely the issue’s most visible and unimportant aspect. This ethnic group is characterized by psychological issues such as high incidences of mental illnesses such as suicide and drug misuse.

Psychosocial Problems

The Native American ethnic group has the highest suicide rate of any minority group in the United States. Since 2003, this statistic has been rising, and we may conclude that the situation is not improving (Stone et al., 2023). The causes for this phenomenon might be because prejudice and inequality in society significantly impact this group of minorities. According to these peoples’ representatives, the words and promises that routinely ring from the high stands do not alter anything in the lives of the Indians: the state and businesses, as before, do not consider their interests (Skewes & Blume, 2019).

According to the Bible, God created every human nation from one man to live on the face of the planet (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). This demonstrates that the biblical viewpoint does not encourage inequality, which is the foundation for society’s future growth. Native Americans’ poverty is another critical aspect. Unsatisfactory living conditions have an impact on people’s psyches, leading to a high rate of suicide. Drug usage is also linked to Native Americans’ poor level of living. People see no other option than to abandon reality and begin using narcotics.

Therapeutic Approaches

Individual choice of direction and manner of psychotherapy with an appropriate combination or phased preference of medication therapy, as well as taking into consideration the unique clinical circumstances, should be the primary premise of helping people who are suicidal. At the same time, understanding the dynamics of suicidal behavior, an individual psychologically significant component of suicide kinesis, allows for more differentiated and successful individual work, which is critical in the prevention of suicide.

The use of psychoactive drugs in therapy is divided into numerous stages. To begin, detoxification drops should be used to cleanse the body of drug residues. Following that, coding is required – either pharmacological or psychotherapeutic: it is done to lessen the bodily urge for banned drugs. The recovery program is the most crucial stage since it removes psychological addiction to drugs (Sanders, 2013).

Since the ethnic group will be less likely to use narcotic substances following rehabilitation, this will assist in eliminating the basis of the problem. I feel the concerns described are pretty intricate and severe. Thus, this group may provide some difficulty for me. I will, however, be able to deal with Native Americans if I take a comprehensive and integrated approach. I believe that a psychosocial issue such as suicide might elicit emotion in me. However, I will strengthen my resilience to emotional expressions to stay a more competent worker.

Conclusion

Thus, based on the data obtained, I can say that the approach to patients can be improved in the field of psychological work with this population group. Since this population is prone to suicide and substance use, the consultant should find an individual, gentle approach to minority representatives. This will help prevent the problem from worsening in this ethnic group. Also, it is worth mentioning that such an area as cultural orientation in psychological care, in this case, requires special attention and improvement. This will help to approach the population problem more loyally, generating confidence on the part of the people.

References

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. Web.

Sanders, R. K. (Ed.). (2013). Christian counseling ethics: A handbook for psychologists, therapists and pastors. InterVarsity Press.

Skewes, M. C., & Blume, A. W. (2019). Understanding the link between racial trauma and substance use among American Indians. American Psychologist, 74(1), 88. Web.

Stone, D. M., Mack, K. A., & Qualters, J. (2023). Notes from the field: Recent changes in suicide rates, by race and ethnicity and age group—United States, 2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72(6), 160. Web.

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PsychologyWriting. (2025, January 30). Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities. https://psychologywriting.com/psychosocial-issues-and-therapeutic-approaches-for-native-american-communities/

Work Cited

"Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities." PsychologyWriting, 30 Jan. 2025, psychologywriting.com/psychosocial-issues-and-therapeutic-approaches-for-native-american-communities/.

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PsychologyWriting. (2025) 'Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities'. 30 January.

References

PsychologyWriting. 2025. "Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities." January 30, 2025. https://psychologywriting.com/psychosocial-issues-and-therapeutic-approaches-for-native-american-communities/.

1. PsychologyWriting. "Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities." January 30, 2025. https://psychologywriting.com/psychosocial-issues-and-therapeutic-approaches-for-native-american-communities/.


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PsychologyWriting. "Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Approaches for Native American Communities." January 30, 2025. https://psychologywriting.com/psychosocial-issues-and-therapeutic-approaches-for-native-american-communities/.