Chapter 8. An indigenous narrative of resilience: Malama ko Aloha.

Many indigenous cultures use storytelling as the foundation for the transmission of important cultural information. Stories passed down from generation to generation sometimes teach, record history, provide examples, or inform. One important function of storytelling is the transmission of stories about cultural resilience illustrating how a cultural group has kept strong in the face of adversity.

Challenges in public health research with American Indians and other small ethnocultural minority populations.

As a result of the historical legacy of conquest, colonization, and cultural destruction, indigenous peoples often represent just a small segment of the population in many countries throughout the world. In the United States, American Indians/Alaska Natives are not only one of the smallest minority groups in the nation, but are also very culturally diverse. Disparities in health outcomes often occur along racial and ethnic lines, and culture can play an important role in shaping health behavior.

Building partnerships between indigenous communities and universities: lessons learned in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention research.

Many HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention studies in American Indian and Alaska Native communities have been directed by academic researchers with little community input. We examined the challenges in conducting HIV/AIDS-related research in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and the benefits of changing the research paradigm to a community-based participatory model. The lessons we learned illustrate that the research process should be a cyclical one with continual involvement by community members.

HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention needs of Native Americans living in Baltimore: in their own words.

A needs assessment funded by the Center of Substance Abuse Prevention was conducted in 2005-2006 to determine the HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention needs of Native Americans living in Baltimore, Maryland. We used a community-based participatory approach to gain an in-depth understanding of local Native American health service needs. Community stakeholders and key informants embedded in the local Native American population were consulted at each stage of the research planning process.

[Strengthening family interventions for the prevention of substance abuse in children of addicted parents].

The scientific literature consistently reports that while children of substance abusers may be at biological, psychological, or environmental risk, the effects of these risks can be abbreviated through the use of effective interventions and treatments. Research has consistently demonstrated reductions in family and child dysfunction when effective family intervention programs are consistently utilized. While a number of effective family-based approaches have been developed and evaluated, only a few have been designed specifically for children of substance abusing parents.

Resilience in children of substance users: in their own words.

Understanding what children of alcoholics and other substance users experience has dominated the scientific literature and popular press for the past several decades. To date, the empirical studies have relied primarily on quantitative data to understand the individual and environmental factors associated with the lives, the developmental trajectories, and the growth of children of alcoholics and other substance users. Many of these studies focus on their risks, and very few of them focus on their strengths.

The role of caring adults in the lives of children of alcoholics.

Longitudinal studies of children of alcoholics in a community context are rare, but are of special interest because they provide the opportunity to study families with alcoholic parents who do not reach clinical settings and with offspring who do not receive professional help. The current study reports on the 65 offspring of alcoholics who participated in the Kauai Longitudinal Study. The extensive data on these analyses included questionnaires and interviews of both children and adults that were collected over a 30-year period.

Introduction to the special issue on resilience.

This article introduces this special issue on resilience by briefly reviewing its history and how contemporary researchers and theorists deliberate it today. Resilience, as a concept, emerged primarily from the work of Norman Garmezy, Emmy Werner, and Ruth Smith. It has transformed the field and shifted research, theory, and practice paradigms to a focus on strengths rather than deficits.

Outcomes for substance user treatment in women: results from the Baltimore Drug and Alcohol Treatment Outcomes Study.

The Baltimore Drug and Alcohol Treatment Outcomes Study is a large study focusing on a single city. Over 1000 adult male and female substance users entering treatment in 16 publicly funded substance use treatment programs in the City of Baltimore between 1998 and 1999 were evaluated at four time periods (intake, 30 days after treatment, 6 month, and 12 month follow-ups). A comprehensive psychological battery was administered at each assessment interval.