Brain Injury from a First Nations' Perspective: Teachings from Elders and Traditional Healers

Keightley, Michelle; King, Grace E.; Jang, Shu-Hyun; White, Randy; Colantonio, Angela; Minore, J. Bruce; Katt, Mae; Cameron, Debra; Bellavance, Alice; Longboat-White, Claudine

doi:10.2182/cjot.2011.78.4.5

Cited by 16 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Comparable to findings by Elder 30 , elders and traditional healers participating in the study by Keightley, et al 52 identified that spiritual healing -which can only be understood by traditional methods -is paramount towards the healing process. Keightley, et al 52 also found that healing and treatment is a process of western medicine and traditional methods working together. For example, western medicine was identified as important towards understanding how to treat and detect brain injury, while traditional methods can be useful for providing guidance and motivation for community members who have experienced brain injury.…”

Section: Tbi Rehabilitation Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 67%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Traumatic brain injury amongst indigenous people: a systematic review

Lakhani

Townsend²,

Bishara³

2017

Brain Injury

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Published studies demonstrate that Indigenous people have a higher prevalence or incidence of TBI compared to non-Indigenous people. Limited studies explore culturally appropriate rehabilitation and intervention methods and Indigenous understandings of TBI. It is imperative that future research consider the nature and efficacy of culturally appropriate approaches and their contribution towards better outcomes for Indigenous people with TBI, and their families and communities.

show abstract

Section: Tbi Rehabilitation Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…A single study 52 -which did not entirely meet the review criteria due to a focus on brain injury and not TBI -provided findings regarding Indigenous perspectives to treatment for brain injury. Keightley, et al 52 investigated First Nations perspectives concerning brain injury healing and rehabilitation in Canada.…”

Section: Tbi Rehabilitation Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traumatic brain injury amongst indigenous people: a systematic review

Lakhani

Townsend²,

Bishara³

2017

Brain Injury

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Despite the dearth of literature exploring the intersection of TBI and IPV, some comparisons can be made with the few studies to explore either TBI or IPV within an Indigenous context in Canada, where themes such as challenges to post-injury care, issues of cultural competency, and need for education and screening were also present. Studies examining post-injury transition back to community living report that TBI survivors from Canadian First Nations have a more difficult time than those from settler populations (Keightley et al, 2009;Keightley et al, 2011a). Many of the emergent themes discussed here reflect challenges with existing services, such that women are also likely to experience lower success rates with community reintegration post-injury.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Consultations with First Nations elders and traditional healers identified the importance of spirituality, conflicting notions of fixing illness or injury versus living with wellness, working collaboratively in addressing brain injury, and the need for financial support for traditional healing as important in providing culturally safe and responsive services. These studies, however, did not explicitly address brain injury in the IPV context (Keightley et al, 2011a(Keightley et al, , 2011b. Given the challenges of supporting TBI among Indigenous populations in Canada, the elevated rates of violence and injury experienced by women exposed to IPV and the increased level of physical assault among Indigenous women in Canada, it is important to understand the unique context and service needs of these diverse, and distinct, groups of women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence: Addressing knowledge and service gaps among indigenous populations in Canada

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious consequence of intimate partner violence (IPV) that is often overlooked. In the case of Indigenous women in Canada the challenges are broad, multidimensional, and left almost entirely unexplored. Given the elevated rates of violence and injury experienced by women exposed to IPV and the increased levels of physical assault among Indigenous women in Canada, it is important to understand the unique experiences and service needs of these women. This study sought to identify barriers and facilitating factors for TBI-sensitive service provision for Indigenous women experiencing IPV.Method:As part of a larger national stakeholder consultation process to develop a TBI educational toolkit for IPV service providers, input from Indigenous stakeholders was specifically sought to allow for insights into unique challenges and strengths related to this population. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with IPV direct-service providers, support professionals, and advocates working with Canadian First Nations and Inuit women.Findings:Findings suggest that multiple intersections of marginalization, shame and stigma, and colonization, coupled with significant barriers to service provision in remote communities are such that solutions generated for urban-based settler populations are ineffective.Conclusions:Recommendations include a widespread educational campaign to raise awareness of the seriousness of TBI among Indigenous women exposed to IPV. Education is particularly important among healthcare and direct service providers, survivors and their families and communities, legal professionals and child protection agencies, and Indigenous and settler government bodies. Future research should focus on expanding our understanding of this complex issue and developing culturally sensitive, community-based supports.

show abstract

“…Interviews with traditional healers identified culturally specific barriers and facilitators for treating AI/AN patients at a level I trauma center, suggesting a need for improved cultural competence among providers caring for AI/AN patients with traumatic injury [10]. A study of Canadian First Nations elders found differences between the Western and traditional approach to healing after TBI, and stressed the need for culturally safe and responsive occupational therapy services for First Nations individuals with TBI [11]. These studies suggest that the worldview of AI/AN people regarding TBI and cultural expectations for service differs from that of the majority population, which may affect rehabilitation outcomes for AI/AN children with TBI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional outcomes during inpatient rehabilitation for American Indian and Alaska Native children with traumatic brain injury

Fuentes

Jimenez

Apkon

et al. 2016

PRM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PURPOSE American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people have the highest traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related mortality in the United States, but little is known about AI/AN children who survive traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study compares function and factors associated with discharge function between AI/AN and White children with TBI during inpatient rehabilitation. METHODS Retrospective national cohort study of 114 AI/AN and 7,267 White children aged 6 months-18 years who received inpatient TBI rehabilitation between 2002–2012 at facilities utilizing the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation®. The outcome measure was developmental functional quotients (DFQ is the FIM® or WeeFIM® score divided by age norms × 100) at discharge. RESULTS AI/AN race was not associated with motor (regression coefficient (β) 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) −2.39, 2.76) or cognitive (β −1.54, 95% CI −3.75, 0.67) function. Among a subgroup with loss of consciousness > 24 hours (AI/AN n = 13, White n = 643), AI/AN race was associated with lower motor DFQ (β −12.83, 95% CI −25.39, −0.34). CONCLUSIONS Overall, AI/AN race was not associated with inpatient rehabilitation function for children with TBI, but providers should not assume AI/ANs with more severe injuries have equitable outcomes.

show abstract

Brain Injury from a First Nations' Perspective: Teachings from Elders and Traditional Healers

Abstract: Funding is required for traditional healing services to provide culturallysafe and responsive occupational therapy services to First Nations individuals with brain injury.

Cited by 16 publications

References 23 publications

Traumatic brain injury amongst indigenous people: a systematic review

Traumatic brain injury amongst indigenous people: a systematic review

Traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence: Addressing knowledge and service gaps among indigenous populations in Canada

Functional outcomes during inpatient rehabilitation for American Indian and Alaska Native children with traumatic brain injury

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About