Narratives of social support and health in Aboriginal communities

Abstract

Objective: Societies that foster high-quality social relationships and social support seemingly produce healthier populations. Existing research identifies social support as a significant dimension and determinant of Canadian Aboriginal health, yet patterns of morbidity and mortality overwhelmingly reflect social causes (e.g., violence, suicide), thereby suggesting that social support may not be widely accessible within this population. This paper seeks to understand how broader societal factors (e.g., colonialism) work to influence access to social support in the everyday social environments of Aboriginal communities. Method: Narrative analysis of interviews with 26 Aboriginal Community Health Representatives (CHRs) from across Canada. Results: Sources of social support are institutional (e.g., those employed to provide support) and intimate (e.g., family). In terms of access to social support, CHRs ’ stories reflected a narrative detailing the post-colonial context. Key elements of this narrative include the child-parent relationship, group-belonging, trust, socio-economic dependence