A Nunavut community-directed Inuit youth mental wellness initiative: making I-SPARX fly

Autor: Yvonne Bohr, Jeffrey Hankey, Alaina Thomas, Marette Abdelmaseh, Leigh Armour, Hugh McCague, Jenna Barnhardt, Megis Oskalns, Nichaela Garvey, Yogita Singh, Cassie Danz, Chelsea Singoorie, Reuben Qaunaq, Iola Oshoweetok, Mathijs Lucassen, Sally Merry, Matthew Shepherd, Marc H. Bornstein, Farah Ahmad, Shmuel Shulman, Jonathan Weiss
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Vol 83, Iss 1 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 22423982
2242-3982
DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2024.2401210
Popis: Inuit youth in Nunavut (NU) are resilient but face a protracted suicide crisis. The SPARX serious game and e-intervention, developed originally in New Zealand, teaches youth cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) skills to ameliorate stress and depression. Inuit youth in NU reviewed and culturally adapted SPARX and an existing wellness outcome measure for Inuit. One hundred and twenty-one youth, aged 13 to 24, across NU then tested, played, and evaluated I(nuit)-SPARX, showing improvement in several areas of wellbeing post-play. Youth completed a CBT skills survey, engaged in sharing circles to assess CBT skill retention, and shared their thoughts about the usefulness and cultural fit of I-SPARX with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Communication Skills, Listening Skills, and Problem Solving emerged as the most helpful learned CBT skills, and NU youth provided real-world examples of using I-SPARX skills to support their mental wellness. Several principles of IQ were exemplified and upheld in the content of the adapted SPARX tool and the process of the project as a whole. Empirically grounded, asynchronous e-tools, developed in collaboration with Inuit communities to ensure cultural specificity, may support psychological wellness in communities where mental health resources are scarce.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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