Inuit Concepts of Mental Health and Illness: an Ethnographic Study Report No.4

The concepts of mental health & illness of the Inuit of Nunavik (Northern Quebec) were studied. Major findings included the lack of a general term for mental health or illness in Inuktitut, & the prevalence of substance abuse, family violence & suicide as major mental health problems. From interviews & surveys, a model of indigenous concepts of & attitudes toward mental health & illness was developed. An Inuktitut/English lexicon of mental health related terms was also prepared. Implications for future research are discussed. (136 refs)