PhD project A doctoral project aimed at increasing understanding of how the interaction between individual and structural factors can strengthen young Sámi people’s mental health, and at promoting more equitable and inclusive healthcare through analysis of patterns of care and healthcare professionals’ experiences. The project will examine how cultural efficacy can function as a resource for mental health and how it may contribute to strengthening young Sámi people’s mental health and wellbeing.
The project aim to increase knowledge of young Sámi people’s mental health and their encounters with healthcare services. By combining qualitative interview studies with quantitative analyses of survey and register data, the project examines the role of cultural efficacy in young Sámi people’s mental health. The perspectives and experiences of both young Sámi people and healthcare professionals regarding mental health will be explored, along with a mapping of potential differences in psychiatric morbidity and pharmacological treatment between young Sámi people and young Swedes.
Background:
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Mental health encompasses both wellbeing and mental ill‑health. In recent years, self‑reported mental ill‑health among young people in Sweden has increased, as has the use of psychiatric healthcare services. In northern Sweden, suicide rates among young adults are among the highest in the country. The Sámi are Europe’s only recognized Indigenous people, and previous research shows that Indigenous peoples internationally tend to have poorer health and more limited access to healthcare. Many Sámi live in northern Sweden, and a previous knowledge review of Sámi psychosocial ill‑health has identified several knowledge gaps regarding Sámi mental health, including suicide and experiences of care. Research and surveys also show that young Sámi people report lower quality of life, high exposure to discrimination, and limited experience of cultural competence within healthcare. At the same time, more research is needed on strengthening and health‑promoting factors such as cultural identity and community, in line with Indigenous rights principles of health equity and selfdetermination.
Aims:
1. To develop a theoretical model of factors that strengthen young Sámi people’s mental well‑being.
2. To examine associations between access to Sámi resources and mental health.
3. To explore healthcare professionals’ experiences and understanding of young Sámi people’s needs in mental healthcare.
4. To analyze differences in psychiatric morbidity and prescription of psychotropic medication among young Sámi people compared with young Swedes.
Methods/Study Design:
A mixed‑methods project conducted in collaboration with a Sámi reference group, consisting of four sub‑studies structured according to the aims outlined above:
1. A qualitative study with interviews with young Sámi people about mental health and strengthening factors.
2. A quantitative study based on analysis of data from the Sámi public health survey, SámiHET 2026.
3. A qualitative study with interviews with healthcare professionals.
4. A quantitative retrospective register study using data from, among others, the National Patient Register and the Prescribed Drug Register.
Timeline:
Study 1 will be conducted in 2026–2027, Study 2 in 2026–2029, Study 3 in 2028–2031, and Study 4 in 2031–2033.
Clinical Relevance:
This project is the first in Sweden to systematically study young Sámi people’s encounters with healthcare with a focus on strengthening factors. The results may be used by healthcare providers, Sámi organizations, and policymakers, and are expected to contribute to the development of culturally safe care for other national minorities as well.
Ethical Considerations:
Ethical approval has been granted for the first sub‑study. Additional approvals will be sought as the project progresses. The project will be conducted in accordance with applicable legislation and ethical guidelines, including the Declaration of Helsinki, and will strive to adhere to Sámi ethical guidelines for health research developed in the Norwegian part of Sápmi, given the absence of equivalent guidelines in Sweden. The research project will be conducted in collaboration with a Sámi reference group.
