Mental health among Sami people with intellectual disabilities

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Author: Hege Gjertsen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019
• Subjects: mental health status; intellectual disability; disability; sami; bullying; living-condition survey; intersectionality; norway; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Norway; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1565860; https://doaj.org/article/adc9fda40ccb4de7a0bc5276607e8f48

The first living condition-survey among people with intellectual disability in Sami areas in Norway was conducted in 2017. The purpose of this article is to present and discuss results from the living-condition study, with a focus on the results related to mental health and bullying as a risk factor for poor mental health among people with intellectual disability and a Sami background. We have conducted a questionnaire survey among people with intellectual disability in Sami areas, with and without a Sami background (N = 93). People with intellectual disability have poorer mental health compared to the population in general and those with Sami background have the poorest mental health. Bullying is one of several factors that increase the risk of poor mental health among people with intellectual disability and Sami background. Having a Sami background makes people with intellectual disability more disposed to poor mental health.