‘Intergenerational healing’: Psychologist addresses mental health issues in Indigenous youth

According to Stats Canada, 65% of the 1.2 million Canadian children suffering mental health issues are Indigenous.

Synopsis: Suicide rate among Indigenous youth aged 15-24 is significantly higher than the general population. Registered psychologist Leigh Sheldon joined CTV Morning Live’s Kim Wynn, giving insight into what’s going on in the Indigenous community.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Kimberly Wynn: According to Stats Canada, 1.2 million children in the country are affected by mental health issues, and roughly 65 per cent of these children are Indigenous. Suicide rates among Indigenous youth aged 15 to 24 are five to six times higher than those of the general population. You talked to the Indigenous community both senior and a bit younger. Let’s start with the younger population. Why is it important to help Indigenous kids at a very young age?

Leigh Sheldon: It’s very important, because this can developmentally have an impact long-term. This is where it could really change the nervous system and the brain patterning. As adults, we’re going to think about those things that happened when we were younger.

Kim: Why is that?

Leigh: Intergenerational trauma that’s stemming from the impacts of residential schools, the racism and discrimination that we have to ongoingly face, and it really gets stored in the blood memory. It changes the neurophysiology of our system at such a neuromolecular level. It’s really in our blood, it’s in our bones, our children and our children’s children will have it as well.

Kim: How can these effects manifest?

Leigh: Just sitting calmly, like the inability to sit calm. It’s in our fight, flight, and freeze responses where we’re stuck in them, scanning for danger, and scanning for safety. The loss of identity, not wanting to connect with our identity, and relationships. It’s really difficult to have relationships sometimes.

Kim: This is probably a very complex question, but what can be done to solve these problems?

Leigh: As we have intergenerational healing, we also have intergenerational trauma. We have intergenerational healing. Building cultural resilience is key. We have what’s called a “right-brain structure,” that’s been injured. Culture actually heals the right-brain. What’s really cool is that all of this intergenerational healing that culture brings, it can restore the brain and restore that nervous system. Also, focusing on healing healthy relationships. These people just want to be seen and heard.

Kim: When you talk to the Elders, is there any pushback and were they seeking help?

Leigh: Sometimes, those Elders will come to us when there’s big events that are happening in Canada, when they want to talk and heal from the impacts of residential schools. I wouldn’t say that there’s pushback, but there is so much value in the cultural practices and how they heal. We really have to respect it, understand it, provide the science, but they are also key to the healing as well. Those Elders and knowledge keepers know the medicines and they also know the science, but they also just want to tell their story, because sometimes they haven’t been able to tell their story.

Kim: If somebody is seeking psychological services from you or anybody else, where can they find you?

Leigh: They could find us on indigenouspsychologicalservices.com. We’re in Edmonton and we’re the fastest growing organization in Alberta and Canada, and we also provide services throughout Canada.

You can help youth mental health organizations by donating $5.00 by texting YOUTH to 45678, and Bell will match that donation.