Critical Analysis Paper

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Humber College *

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2000

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Medicine

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Dec 6, 2023

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Critical Analysis Paper Equity & Inclusion in Addictions and Mental Health ADMH 2000 – 0LB Samantha Ledamun N00672314 Shivon Raghunandan November 9 th , 2023

Critical Analysis Paper ADMH 2000 – 0LB Samantha Ledamun Introduction Many factors can influence an individual or population’s health status. Environmental factors, including social, economic, and physical ones, have a significant influence on mental health and many mental health illnesses. Our access to proper healthcare services, income status, affordable housing, employment status, disability status, education status and gender are all social determinants of health (SdoH). All these factors can affect an individual's mental health status and one’s ability to access mental health services. When considering mental health as a SdoH, it is important to consider the Biopsychosocial model of Mental Health when working with individuals, especially those who are marginalized or groups who have been systemically discriminated against – such as Indigenous communities. For this critical analysis paper, I am choosing to focus on the opioid crisis in Canada, more specifically, in relation to Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities have been systemically discriminated against for generations since the start of the Indian Act 1876. Not to mention, being Indigenous is also a SdoH itself. The SdoH I will be focusing on for this paper is Race/Racism, as Indigenous Peoples in Canada are disproportionately affected by the drug overdose issue due to historical colonialism, racism, and intergenerational trauma. “ Structural racism keeps Aboriginal people in poverty; this must be addressed to improve health outcomes for these communities” (Canadian Medical Association, 2013, p.1). Lavalley et al. (2018) stated that in 2017, Canada had 4000 opioid- related deaths, and Indigenous peoples accounted for 10% of those overdose deaths. This is now seen in some Indigenous communities in Canada, as a state of emergency. 2

Critical Analysis Paper ADMH 2000 – 0LB Samantha Ledamun Key Issues The article I found on Global News speaks about Treaty 6 First Nations in Alberta declaring a state of emergency over the rising opioid deaths. While this is quickly becoming a national crisis, Indigenous communities in western Canada are seen to have higher mortality rates for substance users using opioids, 5 times higher than for other drug users (The Canadian Press, 2023). Treaty 6 territory covers central Alberta and Saskatchewan spanning over 300,000 km. The article focuses on the opioid crisis that is affecting Treaty 6 First Nations and the lack of harm reduction services & funding available, which is supposed to be provided by the government. Treaty 6 is supposed to guarantee health care for Indigenous communities, and states that federal government must provide ongoing health care (Mertz & Meilleur, 2023). Indigenous life expectancy is decreasing due to the opioid crisis and the lack of harm reduction services. Alberta Health Services collected data that disclosed the life expectancy of Indigenous Albertans went from 71 years in 2017, to 63 years in 2021 (Mertz & Meilleur, 2023). This relates to race/racism as a social determinant of health (SdoH) as the federal and provincial governments are not seeing eye to eye with what the Grand Chief Leonard Standingontheroad is suggesting on how to handle this crisis. While certain levels of government do not believe in a harm reduction approach, Indigenous communities are requesting for Indigenous voices to be represented and be present at the table when making these decisions and plans. The community knows what is best for them when it comes to mental health and addiction support. According to the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations, death rates have increased after 3

Critical Analysis Paper ADMH 2000 – 0LB Samantha Ledamun supervised consumption sites were shuttered, and 71 First Nations have declared an opioid crisis, but only 22 to 24 have received money. (Mertz & Meilleur, 2023). Location of Self While I don’t identify as Indigenous, I am a white settler here in Tkaoronto and I am an ally to these communities, using my ethnicity to be a voice for those Indigenous communities who deserve justice, honesty, and to have the right to access proper healthcare as I do. I identify as a white, non-binary, bi-sexual, English-speaking individual – with mental health challenges, and previously a substance user living in Etobicoke, previously the GTA. I have had the privilege of always having access to healthcare as my parents always had good health benefits, I live near a hospital, I have access to a primary physician, I can access mental health supports, and have an abundance of harm reduction services/safe consumption sites around me. On the outside I have privilege but the more you peel back the layers, I am also facing discrimination in other parts of my social location. The reason I decided to focus on the opioid crisis within Indigenous community’s vs within Canada as a whole, is because I have always had this spiritual tie to Indigenous culture and practices without knowing, it’s almost intuition. While I am not tied to this community or culture by genetic blood, spiritually or from a past life, I feel a strong connection to protect these people and communities. I may not be affected directly with what is happening within these communities, but as a social service worker and as a human being, it is very upsetting to me that they are not receiving basic health care services, clean drinking water, and their harm reduction services are being taken away. While also using my intercultural competency skills I’ve been learning over the past year or so, I will continue to adapt and learn 4

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