Depression: Silent Epidemic in the Urban Indian Population

Background: A review of official statistics shows that for almost every conceivable indicator of health, American Indians and Alaska Natives rank the lowest. Combined with this, many suffer from depression. Although 61% of American Indians and Alaska Natives reside in urban areas, American Indian and Alaska Native depression a topic of inquiry that has received little focused attention by researchers and mental health practitioners. Objectives: To identify gaps in knowledge on depression, to present findings and increase awareness of the health of the urban American Indian and Alaska Native population among policy makers, health providers, and the general public, and to make policy recommendation to reduce depression among urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. Methods: The Seattle Indian Health Board, an urban Indian health organization, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, convened an Urban Indian Health Commission made up of scientific, cultural, and policy experts who investigated urban Indian depression research. Findings: The results define issues and document depression among urban American Indian and Alaska Native within a historical and contemporary political and social context. The paper identifies data currently available to describe depression prevalence among urban American Indian and Alaska Native, as well as current challenges to providing mental health services. Finally, the paper argues for the need to collect information on the prevalence of depression among urban American Indian and Alaska Native, and to assure access to services and support needed to address mental health issues, particularly depression, faced by this population.