Introduction
The medicine wheel is a well-known symbol in Native American culture, and it may be found in many aspects of human life. The Indigenous people believe that life is a continual loop that must be acknowledged. The notion of the life cycle is seen in how indigenous people deal with various situations. As a social worker, I have interacted with Native Americans and witnessed firsthand the medicine wheel’s healing properties. This article will utilize a Medicine Wheel model and a social work paradigm to manage depression among Native American Indian youths.
Case Overview
Ariana is a 19-year-old Indian and American-born in New York. She was the only child of a successful couple who had a happy family life. Despite her tight bond with her father, she was given sole custody of her mother following her parents’ divorce two years ago. Less than a month after the divorce was finalized, Ariana demonstrated strange changes in her behavior and thinking. She lacks the motivation to complete her coursework or even simple household activities like cooking. After getting home from school one day, she went straight to her room and stayed there for several hours. Since the individual feels that the experience was only a one-day lousy mood, this pattern of behavior has now become routine.
She has a low anger limit and a high level of agitation and exhibits excessively aggressive behavior toward her friends and family members. Apart from dietary changes, she spends the majority of the night awake. Her mother is worried about the situation and has decided to look into the possibility of psychological intervention. Ariana has been diagnosed with insomnia, panic attacks, and anxiety, all of which have contributed to her depression diagnosis.
The medicine wheel can help Ariana heal herself when she feels down. Given Ariana’s current situation, it is easy to see how her wealthy upbringing with both parents made it difficult for her to depend on her mother alone. It is disappointing that she cannot keep up her high-status lifestyle, especially after making significant changes to her social life. Her mother cannot give her daughter the comforts she used to enjoy because the family’s finances are tight.
People still have a wrong opinion of people with depression, making it hard for teenagers to get good treatment, get better, and get involved in their communities. Teenagers are to blame because they do not have strong values and are afraid to face life’s problems. Ariana is trying to come to terms with what happened on her own, but her mother may send her to a public school where her classmates will not know about her past. So, as she gets to know her new support group better, she will feel more at ease and have less depression.
Praying, believing in certain events, and engaging in rituals are all examples of components of spirituality shared by people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. As a result, spiritual intervention has effectively cured depression in Native American teenagers. Patients who reported higher levels of spirituality had lower levels of depression (Bear et al., 2018). Individuals such as Ariana can get insight into their behavior and the context they operate in through their responses to their questions. Despite the difficulties, the respondents’ comments showed that they were grateful for their current situation. They came to see that they were not alone in their struggles. There was no need to wallow in their misery or deny the importance of their struggles, especially when some of the difficulties they encountered were opportunities for personal growth.
The Southern Quadrant encompasses both the emotional and social realms of human experience. In many parts of the world, depression during the teen years is a pervasive problem. As a consequence of the goings-on in their homes, a sizeable percentage of youngsters of school age frequently suffer from poor mental health, and they often display signs of melancholy and a loss of hope. Interpersonal and social ties are generally seen as the most critical predictors of teenage psychosocial well-being (Lee et al., 2020). Even though multiple interlinked factors have been linked to depressive symptoms in adolescents, the ability to manage stress through healthy social relationships with one’s family and friends can be utilized as a predictor of adolescents’ mental health. In the case of Ariana, the dissolution of her parent’s marriage was a severe emotional setback.
Living with a single mother or in a divided home can strain both the child and the parent. These families must deal with the hardships of a lack of financial means. Due to a lack of role models, teenagers from dysfunctional homes experience more social, academic, and emotional obstacles. A dysfunctional family lacks positive traits that can influence adolescent behavior. As a result, the composition of the family unit is a crucial element in teenagers’ psychological well-being. To some extent, there is direct evidence that marital turbulence relates to feelings of stress, anxiety, lack of drive, and frustration. It should be no surprise that these expressions hurt young people’s attitudes toward marriage. Ariana’s case circumstances indicate mental instability, and, probably, she will never understand the importance of marriage in her life.
Conclusion
While answering questions, participants could reflect on their current circumstances. They recognized how exceptional they were while also developing some crucial features. The method assisted them in overcoming self-pity and appreciating their lifestyles. They were inspired by the realization that they could live happy, depressed-free lives. The medicine wheel involves cooperation and open-mindedness from all participants (Danto, 2018). The Medicine Wheel Evaluation Framework should be used throughout a project. Directed questions should be asked from the outset of the project to understand the four quadrants and their interactions better.
References
Bear, U. R., Garroutte, E. M., Beals, J., Kaufman, C. E., & Manson, S. M. (2018). Spirituality and mental health status among Northern Plain tribes. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 21(3), 274–287. Web.
Danto, D. (2018). The Medicine Wheel and Resilience within an Indigenous Community in Northern Ontario. J Depress Anxiety, 7(299), 2167-1044.
Lee, H. Y., Kim, I., Nam, S., & Jeong, J. (2020). Adverse childhood experiences and the associations with depression and anxiety in adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104850. Web.
Addressing Depression Among Native Youths
