Session: Stress, Resiliency, and Health Disparities Among American Indian, Alaska Native, and Two Spirit Populations: Understanding Complex Stress, Trauma, and Wellness in an Affordable Care Act Era (Society for Prevention Research 23rd Annual Meeting)

The goal of this symposium session is to present multiple studies involving various sub populations (e.g. urban, reservation-based, at risk for HIV, diabetes diagnosis) of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) and to bring about mutually supportive dialogue to understand the etiology of AIAN health disparities. Guided group discussion will include talk about the policy implications within the Affordable Care Act era. The symposium supports the conference themes of etiology, epidemiology, and policy. The symposium brings together social work PhD students and sociology early and mid-career researchers who are active in indigenous health research.

The first paper, “Stressors and health inequities within American Indian tribal communities” discusses the range of stressors that Native people experience, including traumatic and ongoing stressors. The presentation of this mixed methods study is framed in a historical, social, and political determinants of health framework and sets the stage for understanding the second and third papers in this series. This paper builds support for the argument that the federal government should address socio-environmental stressors in tribal communities and support tribal nations through the advancement of resiliency initiatives. These efforts can come about through mechanisms within the Affordable Care Act.

The second paper, “Impact of Historical Loss on Mental Health Among Two-Spirit American Indians/Alaska Natives: The Protective Role of Social Support” presents a stress coping strategy when two-spirit (LGBT) AIANs are faced with historical trauma and loss. The authors illustrate how social support acts as a protective factor that can promote mental health despite exposure to historical loss.  Results are presented based on the HONOR Project- a nationwide health survey among AIAN lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited men and women.

The third paper, “Discrimination’s influence on HIV risk behavior among American Indian and Alaska Native men who have sex with men: Does LGBT and Native community participation play a role?” explores the associations of lifetime exposure to racial and heterosexist discrimination on unprotected receptive anal intercourse. Authors advocate that future HIV prevention research and behavioral interventions should address heterosexist discrimination and focus on increasing LGBT community participation as a means of preventing HIV transmission among racial minority MSM, and specifically Native MSM.