“We belong to nature”: Communicating mental health in an indigenous context

Abstract

The approach to standardized services in Norwegian mental health care is tailored to the needs of the majority population, focusing on diagnoses and overshadows an approach that understands, values and emphasizes Sámi storytelling and everyday life. This study aims to contribute knowledge regarding the promotion of user involvement in mental health care from the perspectives of Sámi mental health care users. A narrative approach offers an opportunity to unravel an indigenous approach to mental health care and user involvement. People organize their storytelling according to culturally available narratives. This paper focuses on 9 Sámi men’s and women’s stories related to user involvement in mental health care services. Through a thematic analysis of personal stories, we emphasize how the participants make sense of their needs as patients in a culturally adapted mental health context and their experiences living in Sámi core areas. The following four themes are identified as prerequisites for user involvement in services: (1) the expectation of raising children to be independent, (2) the importance of accepting and recognizing the Sámi identity, (3) the need to live in close relations with nature and family, and 4) the right to be in the Sámi mode. Based on the results of our analysis, we find that user involvement among Sámi mental health care users is related to important Sámi values and norms within the culture and that treatment without these important values ​​could adversely affect user involvement in mental health services.

Being connected to nature, reindeer, and family:findings from a photovoice study on well-being among older South Sámi people

“…Previous research confirms that living in close relations with the land and nature can be significant for the Sami people [32,33]. Sørly et al [33] for instance, concluded that living in close relation with nature was of significance in the healing process for Sami patients with mental health challenges.…”

“…Previous research confirms that living in close relations with the land and nature can be significant for the Sami people [32,33]. Sørly et al [33] for instance, concluded that living in close relation with nature was of significance in the healing process for Sami patients with mental health challenges. Our participants confirmed this finding, even if in our study the feelings of well-being in connection to nature did not necessarily require having physical access to nature, as leaning on memories from past experiences in nature could also enhance feelings of well-being among our participants.…”

“…The need to live in close relations to both nature and family can be significant for Sami people e.g. [ 33 ]. Well-being in relation to the family was also found in the above-mentioned study of the Inuit people in Nunatsiavut [ 34 ].…”

Storytelling as an Educational Tool in Sustainable Education

“…In the report, it is stated that: "Cultural heritage helps to create belonging and understanding of our places in the times. This is expressed by cultural heritage saying something about how we are and what we have been, where we are and where we are going" [32] (p. 22) If you study aboriginal cultures, different tribes, or old languages you can find a trace of sustainability a long way back [52][53][54]. In the Nordic countries live the Sámi people, who are an arctic indigenous population group living in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.…”

“…The knowledge consists of cultural, heritage, traditions, and ways of living [26]. Today, the dominant view of ecological, social and health models consists of a Westernized approach, but the fact is that aboriginal population groups, such as Mãori or Sámi culture, embrace a holistic approach to ecosystems, where the care for place and landscape is of high relevance as it features a sense of belonging [53,54].…”