Looking back, moving forward: a culture-based framework to promote mental wellbeing in Manitoba First Nations communities

The countdown has begun to end of 2020. A traitor! A wasted year! Worst year! Funny memes were created around it. Nevertheless, it has indeed been a tough year for all of us. However, in my experience, this year has been one of my best teachers so far. I sit down at my desk to reflect upon the events this year which has significantly reshaped my life. Here I enumerate the lessons which have empowered me for a lifetime. Acceptance- I accepted the reality without complaining, however deep down I was worried about the uncertainty of the disease, effects of the disease on myself, my family and humanity in general. However, this never came in my way of performing my duties as a doctor at the frontline. Resilience- This year was an emergence of an endurable and resilient version of myself. The surreal circumstances I faced during the lockdown compelled me not to lose my cool and carry on, albeit with moments of frustration. I have definitely emerged out stronger. Realisation- I wasn’t alone in my journey. God has blessed me with beautiful parents, a loving husband, a doting brother and gems whom we call friends who kept checking on my physical and mental wellbeing. I am eternally grateful to one and all for the support. Health and Wellbeing– Self-care should not be equated with self-indulgence. Rather it should be a priority as one cannot fill from an empty bucket. I decided to transform myself on the fitness front and bring out my strongest version. Love– Family first always! Distance makes love grow fonder, I have experienced it in a real sense. Art of Giving- The fact that everything is non-permanent in this world, and nothing belongs to you, has reinforced my faith in charity. Opportunities- while we were crippled with restrictions, conferences looked like a distant reality. Technological advancements however created a land of opportunities. Our venture AnaesthesiaTV got a new lease on life and since then it’s no looking back. Collaboration- PainTV was born through co

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First Nations Men Experiencing Fatherhood

International Journal of Mens Social and Community Health ◽

10.22374/ijmsch.v4i1.56 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e92-e102

Author(s):

Lyndon Reilly

Keyword(s):

First Nations ◽

Research Policy ◽

Critical Role ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Qualitative Studies ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Raising Children

BackgroundEvidence suggests that positive parenting can impact men’s mental wellbeing and child development, and male parents have a unique and critically important role as parents. Unfortunately, limited literature is available regarding the First Nations male parenting and the challenges they encounter raising children. Furthermore, the qualitative studies examining First Nations male parents do not appear effective for translating policy and practice. In effect, important knowledge from these qualitative studies is not informing or shaping First Nations male parenting programs. A systematic collation and meta-synthesis of existing qualitative studies may strengthen the evidence base and assist with the integrative knowledge into policy and practice. MethodsA meta-synthesis of qualitative studies were performed to explore the experiences, barriers and facilitators to parenting among First Nations males. A systematic search in Social Sciences Citation Index, CINAHL, ProQuest, Informit Databases, Expanded Academic, Scopus and Google scholar for e-journals was conducted to identify studies that explored First Nations male parenting, barriers and facilitators. Thematic synthesis was performed to identify the key elements influencing (challenging or facilitating) them. ResultsNine qualitative studies were identified in the review, including eight peer-reviewed articles and one dissertation. Four themes emerged: (1) the complexity of roles and relationships; (2) poverty and exclusion; (3) sharing and receiving knowledge and (4) keeping strong. Elements across studies were identified as a barrier, facilitator or both to male parenting. Conclusions There is compelling evidence demonstrating the critical role of male parents to their own and their children’s development and wellbeing. This meta-synthesis generates a much-needed empirical foundation to guide further research, policy and practice for First Nations male parents. The meta-synthesis and the resulting explanatory theory can be used by communities, practitioners and policymakers to identify the barriers and facilitators that support and promote First Nations male parenting from an indigenous understanding of history and contemporary society.

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