Spirituality, Community Belonging, and Mental Health Outcomes of Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Chantal Burnett, Eva Purkey, Colleen M. Davison, Autumn Watson, Jennifer Kehoe, Sheldon Traviss, Dionne Nolan and Imaan Bayoumi
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Chantal Burnett: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Eva Purkey: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Colleen M. Davison: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Autumn Watson: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Jennifer Kehoe: Indigenous Health Council, Kingston, ON K7K 2V4, Canada
Sheldon Traviss: Indigenous Health Council, Kingston, ON K7K 2V4, Canada
Dionne Nolan: Indigenous Health Council, Kingston, ON K7K 2V4, Canada
Imaan Bayoumi: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: We aimed to assess the association between community belonging, spirituality, and mental health outcomes among Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional observational study used online survey distribution and targeted outreach to the local Indigenous community to collect a convenience sample between 23 April 2020 and 20 November 2020. The surveys included demographic information, self-reported symptoms of depression (PHQ-2) and anxiety (GAD-2), and measures of the sense of community belonging and the importance of spirituality. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the association between the sense of community belonging and spirituality, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Of the 263 self-identified Indigenous people who participated, 246 participants had complete outcome data, including 99 (40%) who reported symptoms of depression and 110 (45%) who reported symptoms of anxiety. Compared to Indigenous participants with a strong sense of community belonging, those with weak community belonging had 2.42 (95% CI: 1.12–5.24)-times greater odds of reporting symptoms of anxiety, and 4.40 (95% CI: 1.95–9.89)-times greater odds of reporting symptoms of depression. While spirituality was not associated with anxiety or depression in the adjusted models, 76% of Indigenous participants agreed that spirituality was important to them pre-pandemic, and 56% agreed that it had become more important since the pandemic began. Community belonging was associated with positive mental health outcomes. Indigenous-led cultural programs that foster community belonging may promote the mental health of Indigenous Peoples.

Keywords: Indigenous Peoples; mental health; spirituality; social support; culturally competent care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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