The impact of cultural identification on the risk, well-being and mental health of Aboriginal youth from communities in Canada and the United States

We expand our work regarding the role and influence of cultural identities with both the Aboriginal and the mainstream cultures in the educational attainment and well-being of Aboriginal youths. Conceptually, we extend the implications to mental health as we explore the role of self-identity as both a protective and risk factor in relation to a variety of traumas that are faced by the youths and their communities, including those of social-emotion distress, the breakdown of family life, and the disruption of culture.