Biomaterial Database

Mental health promotion among American Indian children. 1995

E B Harvey

Gallup Indian Medical Center, New Mexico, USA.

Programs designed to promote mental health of the children of the Navajo Indian Tribe bear priority status. 1. Among these programs are the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, a psychological and physical assessment of the neonate. It is designed to enhance bonding as well as identify and treat neonates affected by intrauterine alcohol or other drug use of the mother during pregnancy. 2. Description of a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome project enabling over 90% of those enrolled to refrain from using alcohol during their pregnancies. Many alcohol counsellors are employed for the entire Reservation. 3. Outreach to day and boarding school aids in many ways, including suicide prevention. 4. Use of knowledge and respect for patients' culture as vital to the treatment process. 5. "Back to Native values" program, involving using not only families but clans in the treatment of problems of children, including sexual or physical abuse and violence. This provides another treatment dimension, while enhancing the self-esteem of the Native people. 6. The social work, substance abuse and mental health programs have been combined into one department named "Place of Healing", a Navajo term.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007198	Indians, North American	Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D008603	Mental Health	Emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual or group.	Mental Hygiene,Health, Mental,Hygiene, Mental
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002669	Child Welfare	Organized efforts by communities or organizations to improve the health and well-being of the child.	Adolescent Welfare,Welfare, Adolescent,Welfare, Child
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D006293	Health Promotion	Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.	Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D016549	United States Indian Health Service	A division of the UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE that is responsible for the public health and the provision of medical services to NATIVE AMERICANS in the United States, primarily those residing on reservation lands.	Indian Health Service (U.S.),Indian Health Service,Service, Indian Health,Service, United States Indian Health,Health Service, Indian,Indian Health Services