Parent and/or Grandparent Attendance at Residential School and Dimensions of Cultural Identity and Engagement: Associations with Mental Health and Substance Use among First Nations Adults Living off Reserve

Abstract

Limited studies have assessed how parent and/or grandparent attendance at residential schools is associated with mental health and substance use among First Nations peoples living off reserve, while also considering how cultural dimensions relate to these outcomes. Analyses of the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey revealed that the odds of self-reported diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders, past-year heavy drinking, and frequent marijuana use were significantly higher among First Nations adults living off reserve who had either a parent and/or grandparent who attended residential schools, even when controlling for covariates. In predicting diagnosed mood disorder, positive cultural identity affect and cultural engagement moderated the effect of parent residential school attendance while cultural exploration moderated the effect of two generations of attendance. Cultural exploration was a protective factor for grandparent residential school attendance in relation to past-year frequent marijuana use. Interventions that are trauma-informed and culturally-based should be considered for this population.