DOI:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0213
Web resource:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-76449098534&partnerID=40&md5=ec262cd71f5a9127528e6a8ebc6e13f0
Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Using traditional spirituality to reduce domestic violence within Aboriginal communities
Other Titles:	Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Authors:	Kennedy, Carla Paul, Sarah Mehl-Madrona, Lewis Puchala, Chassidy
Keywords:	Aboriginals - Canada;Mental health;Domestic violence
Year:	2010
Citation:	No 1 Vol.: 16
Notes:	Objectives: We report the results of involving traditional healing elders (THE) in the clinical care of aboriginal families who were involved in domestic violence in the context of a clinical case series of referrals made for domestic violence. Methods: Psychiatric consultations were requested from senior author L.M.M. for 113 aboriginal individuals involved with domestic violence as recipients or perpetrators (or both) between July 2005 and October 2008. As part of their clinical care, all were encouraged to meet with a THE, with 69 agreeing to do so. The My Medical Outcomes Profile 2 scale was being used as a clinical instrument to document effectiveness. Elders used traditional cultural stories and aboriginal spirituality with individuals, couples, and families to transform the conditions underlying domestic violence. Results: For those people who met with the THE, a statistically significant change (p<0.0001) occurred in symptom severity from baseline to final interview of 4.6-1.52 on a scale of 0-6. The most common presenting symptom was being beaten (39 people), followed by drinking (37 people), drugs (13 people), grudges and anger (12 people), sadness (9 people), hates self (8 people), fear (7 people), sleep problems (6 people), anxiety (5 people), and lost spirituality (2 people). Each person chose two primary symptoms to rate. Conclusions: Including elders in the care of people who are the recipients of domestic violence is effective. We speculate that it helps by providing traditional stories about relationships and roles that do not include violence. Spiritual approaches within aboriginal communities may be more effective than more secular, clinical approaches. Research is indicated to compare elder-based interventions with conventional clinical care. © 2010, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Electronic Resource Number: 10.1089/acm.2009.0213 Author's Address: University of Saskatchewan, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaDepartment of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, Argosy University-Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United StatesDepartment of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT, United StatesCoyote Institute for the Study of Change and Transformation, P.O. Box 9309, South Burlington, VT 05407, United StatesDepartments of Family Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine, University of Hawaii, School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, United States Cited By (since 1996):3Export Date: 12 August 2013Source: ScopusCODEN: JACPF:doi 10.1089/acm.2009.0213PubMed ID: 20055557Language of Original Document: EnglishCorrespondence Address: Mehl-Madrona, L.; Coyote Institute for the Study of Change and Transformation, P.O. Box 9309, South Burlington, VT 05407, United States; email: mehlmadrona@gmail.comReferences: Straus, M.A., Gelles, R.J., How violent are American families? Estimates from the national family violence resurvey and other studies (1988) Family Abuse and Its Consquences, , Hotaling EA, ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications; Paymar, M., (2000) Violent No More: Helping Men End Domestic Abuse, , Alameda CA: Hunter House Publishers; Murphy, S.B., Risley-Curtiss, C., Gerdes, K., American Indian women and domestic violence: The lived experience (2003) Women Girls Social Environ, 7, pp. 159-169; Bohn, D.K., Lifetime physical and sexual abuse, substance abuse, depression, and suicide attempts among Native American women (2003) Issues Mental Health Nurs, 24, p. 333; Brayboy, M.E., Morgan, M.Y., Voices of Indianness: The lived world of Native American women (1998) Women Studies Int Forum, 21, pp. 341-346; Brownridge, D.A., Male partner violence against aboriginal women in Canada (2003) J Interpers Violence, 18, pp. 65-70; Wahab, S., Olson, L., Intimate Partner violence and sexual assult in Native American communities (2004) Trauma Violence Abuse, 5, pp. 353-358; Chester, B., Robin, R., Koss, M.P., Grandmother dishonored: Violence against women by male partners in American Indian communities (1994) Violence Victims, 9, pp. 249-254; McGillivray, A., Comaskey, B., (1996) Intimate Violence, Aboriginal Women and Justice System Response, , Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Manitoba Research Centre of Family Violence and Violence against Women; Morrison, B.R., Wilson, C.R., (1995) Native Peoples: The Canadian Experience, , 2nd ed. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press; Campbell, T.E., Lindhorst, T., Huang, B., Walters, K.L., Interpersonal violence in the lives of urban American Indian and Alaska Native women (2006) Am J Public Health, 96, pp. 1416-1421; Pressman, B., Women in context: Ramifications of gender, class and race inequality (1994) Women in Context: Toward A Feminist Reconstruction of Psychotherapy, pp. 352-389. , Mirkin MP, ed. New York: Guildford Press; O'Nell, T., (2001) Disciplined Hearts: Depression in A Flathead Community, , Berkeley: University of California Pre[cut]
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/17352
ISSN:	1075-5535
Physical description:	Pages 89-96
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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