Background: American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women disproportionally experience postpartum depression in the United States as compared to the rest of the population. Despite being disproportionately represented, the current body of knowledge lacks research on depression in this particular population. Specifically, the current literature lacks research pertaining to the experiences of postpartum AI/AN women, their culture, birthing and mothering expectations, and trauma. This qualitative study used the theories of becoming a mother, historical-trauma framework, and reproductive justice as they relate to Indigenous women’s personal and historical trauma to assess their lived experiences of becoming a mother. Methods: Keetoowah mothers (N = 8) were interviewed by using a story inquiry method to understand the perinatal experiences of members of one Indigenous tribe in the US. Findings: The story inquiry coding resulted in two main themes, namely maternal mental health challenges and inadequacies of perinatal care. Conclusion: The subthemes illuminate the intersection of historical trauma and the perinatal experience, continued colonization of mothering, and the resilience of tribal culture during the postpartum period. Implications include advocacy for increasing culturally derived perinatal interventions, increased healthcare coverage of culturally appropriate birthing practices, and future research evaluating the correlation between historical trauma and maternal mental health challenges.

There is growing evidence suggesting an increased perception of control is associated with reduced psychological distress among survivors of sexual trauma. The current study advances the extant literature by investigating the association between depressive symptoms, sexual trauma, and an external locus of control or the perception life events are outside one’s own control. To do so, we analyze data from the New Family Structures Study, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults ages 18–39. Results from ordinary least square regression analyses suggest sexual trauma and an external locus of control are associated with significantly greater depressive symptoms and that external control exacerbates the association between sexual trauma and depression. Such findings suggest future research should investigate environmental control for sexual trauma survivors in areas such as prenatal care and the justice system.

This study examines risk and protective factors associated with on-time grade attainment among a cohort of high risk elementary age youth 3 years post truancy intervention. Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations was used to identify dominant subpopulation profiles and assess distinctions in the likelihood of on-time grade completion among groups with unique combinations of characteristics. Comparisons of subpopulation profiles revealed substantial contextual variability in the influence of race, gender, service completion, psychosocial risk factors, and truancy. Findings indicate race is not influential across all grades but appears to be dependent on truancy level. Although psychosocial risk factors are not present for K-3^rd profiles, they are critical among 4-5^th graders, specifically lack of motivation. Findings from this study allow practitioners to better understand risk and protective factors influencing grade progression and aids in the development of individualized case management and intervention. Findings indicate better policies are needed to address early truancy.

This paper describes the development of the Arkansas Health Survey (AHS) and AR-COMPASS Explorer as an integrated surveillance-to-action infrastructure that uses representative statewide survey data to produce publicly accessible estimates at the state, county, and census tract levels. The AHS is an annual, statewide, population-based survey of adult Arkansans. Year 1 used address-based sampling to improve representation of lower-income, racially and ethnically diverse, and rural census tracts. Responses were geocoded, imputed as needed, weighted to represent Arkansas adults, and prepared for small-area estimation and public dissemination. A total of 9932 respondents met eligibility and completion criteria. Weighted baseline estimates identified substantial disease and behavioral health need, including hypertension, obesity, clinically relevant depressive symptoms, past-30-day tobacco or nicotine use, and hazardous alcohol use. Baseline estimates provide the empirical foundation for AR-COMPASS, which disseminates AHS indicators through interactive maps, local profiles, comparison tools, and downloadable outputs. The AHS and AR-COMPASS illustrate an approach to designing population health surveillance with a localized dissemination component. This model offers a replicable framework for states seeking geographically granular, publicly useful data infrastructure.