Summary
Indigenous people experience poorer mental health compared to the general population. Socioeconomic gaps partly explain these disparities. However, the variability between indigneous and nonindigenous populations in French overseas territories is understudied. This study examines the prevalence of mental health problems among Indigenous people in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, describing and comparing it with that of their counterparts while considering associated factors.
Authors used the data from the cross-sectional Mental Health in the General Population survey in the only 3 sites for which information on indigenous status was available: Noumea (2006) and the Bush (2008) in New Caledonia, and French Polynesia (2015-2017). Current mental health issues were screened using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The study considered the following factors: gender, age, education level, marital status, occupational activity and monthly income.
Findings: Overall, 2,294 participants were analyzed. Among the 1,379 indigenous participants, 52.3% had at least one mental health issue. The prevalence of depressive disorder (18.0% vs. 11.7%), alcohol use disorder (16.7% vs. 11.7%), and suicide risk (22.3% vs. 16.7%) were higher among indigenous participants compared to nonindigenous participants. After adjustment, the association between indigenous status and these mental health issues did not persist, except for alcohol use disorder.
The authors found higher prevalence of depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and suicide risk among indigenous people of French Polynesia and New Caledonia compared to their counterparts. These differences seemed largely explained by socioeconomic disparities. Future studies could explore the use of and access to health care by indigenous populations.
