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Shared environment, shared mechanisms: comparing pathways to mental health outcomes among indigenous youth and youth with other ethnic backgrounds
Background:
Numerous studies have shown that indigenous populations experience poorer health outcomes compared to people with other backgrounds. However, the interpretation of these disparities remains challenging due to differences in living conditions and social environments, as well as by potential measurement-related biases. Little is known about whether the underlying mechanisms of mental health outcomes differ between indigenous youth and youth of other ethnic backgrounds.
Methods:
Using cross-sectional data from an online survey (N = 1,258) of indigenous small-numbered youth and youth from other ethnic backgrounds living in the same social and institutional environment, structural equation modeling was applied to examine how ethnic discrimination, satisfaction with the preservation of an ethnic group’s traditions, finances, and housing are associated with depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and alcohol use in these populations. Z-tests were conducted to compare regression coefficient estimates between the two groups.
Results:
The results show that experiences of ethnic discrimination are consistently associated with poorer well-being in both groups, while satisfaction with the preservation of an ethnic group’s traditions is marginally negatively associated only with anxiety among youth of other ethnic backgrounds. Financial satisfaction may serve as a potential protective factor for mental health outcomes across both groups, whereas satisfaction with housing shows no significant associations with any of the outcomes. Alcohol use does not serve as a central mechanism linking material and non-material factors to mental health. Z-tests indicate that the patterns of associations are largely similar across groups. The study also provides evidence for the strict invariance of the PHQ-9 scale and the partial strict invariance of the GAD-7 scale across the studied populations.
Conclusion:
The study suggests that the mechanisms linking material and non-material factors to mental health outcomes are not specific to ethnic background across small-numbered indigenous youth and populations of other ethnic backgrounds living in the same environment. The findings also highlight the need for tailored interventions that address both material and non-material determinants of mental well-being.