Development of Coping Strategies and Sexual Subjectivity among Female Youth in the Northwest Territories, described through Body Mapping

• Main Author: Lys, Candice Lorene
• Other Authors: Gesink, Dionne, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: arts-based research methods; body mapping; Indigenous populations; mental health; sexual subjectivity; youth; 0573; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/91975

Background: The sexual and mental health of young women in the Northwest Territories (NWT) is a serious public health concern. In response, I developed an arts-based intervention called FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth). FOXY is grounded in social ecological theory and guided by a trauma-informed lens. Objectives: To learn about sexual and mental health from young women in the NWT attending FOXY, using the arts-based method of body mapping. Specifically, to 1) describe and evaluate body mapping an as approach for educational intervention and research data collection with young NWT women; 2) discover the self-identified strategies that young women in the NWT use to cope with mental health issues; and 3) explore how young NWT women develop their sexual subjectivity within the context of contraception use and access. Results: 41 female FOXY youth (aged 13 to 17 years) from six NWT communities completed in-depth interviews, and seven FOXY facilitators provided written reflections. Body mapping was an intervention tool that supported and encouraged participant self-reflection, introspection, personal connectedness, and processing difficult emotions. The process catalyzed data collection that enabled trust and youth voice in research, reduced verbal communication barriers, and facilitated collection of rich data regarding personal experiences. Participants used five mental health coping strategies: grounding via nature, strength through Indigenous cultures, connection with God and Christian beliefs, expression using the arts, and relationships with social supports. Barriers to the development of sexual subjectivity included a culture of stigma and shame surrounding sexuality; pervasive alcohol use in communities; predatory behaviours by older men; poor quality sexual health education offered in schools; and, issues with accessing health services. Comprehensive sexual health education; widespread access to free condoms; and, positive health support networks with female relatives, peers, and some teachers were identified as facilitators for the development of sexual subjectivity. Conclusion: A trauma-informed, holistic, culturally relevant framework of multiple intervention strategies at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and societal levels within a comprehensive social ecological model can address the complex interplay of sexual and mental health needs of young NWT women. Ph.D.