title: Lessons Learned From a Community-Based Participatory Research Mental Health Promotion Program for American Indian Youth.
abstract: Background American Indian (AI) youth have the highest rates of suicide among racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States. Community-based strategies are essential to address this issue, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) offers a model to engage AI communities in mental health promotion programming. Objectives This article describes successes and challenges of a CBPR, mixed-method project, The Lumbee Rite of Passage (LROP), an academic-community partnership to develop and implement a suicide prevention program for Lumbee AI youth in North Carolina. Method LROP was conducted in two phases to (1) understand knowledge and perceptions of existing mental health resources and (2) develop, implement, and evaluate a cultural enrichment program as a means of suicide prevention. Discussion/Results LROP implemented an effective community-academic partnership by (1) identifying and understanding community contexts, (2) maintaining equitable partnerships, and (3) implementing a culturally tailored research design targeting multilevel changes to support mental health. Strategies formed from the partnership alleviated challenges in each of these key CBPR concept areas. Conclusions LROP highlights how a CBPR approach contributes to positive outcomes and identifies opportunities for future collaboration in a tribal community. Using culturally appropriate CBPR strategies is critical to achieving sustainable, effective programs to improve mental health of AI youth.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA slangdon@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Langdon
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Mayfield
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Rhonda F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Maynor
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Pembroke, Pembroke, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Healthy Start CORPS, Pembroke, NC, USA.
authors.forename: V Kay
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ronny A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D054521:Cultural Competency; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008603:Mental Health; D009657:North Carolina; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: American Indian youth; community-based participatory research; health disparities; mental health