Research Summaries
Why was the study done?
Indigenous Peoples and public safety personnel (PSP) are two groups that report very high rates of mental health challenges. Yet, little is known about the mental health of Indigenous PSP and effective support services. This study aims to fill this void by investigating the perceptions and benefits of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) with Indigenous PSP in comparison to White PSP in Canada.
What was done in the study?
This study included 391 Canadian PSP (8% self-identified Indigenous) who enrolled in either the PSP Wellbeing Course or PSP PTSD Course. Participants completed pre-treatment and 8-week post-enrollment questionnaires to assess their symptoms of anxiety, depression, panic, posttraumatic stress, and social anxiety. Program use, symptom change, and treatment satisfaction were also assessed.
What did we find out?
Indigenous PSP showed elevated pre-treatment mental health concerns (i.e., depression, posttraumatic stress, anger, and panic) than White PSP. Still, no differences were found between ethnic groups with respect to symptom change, program use, or treatment satisfaction. These findings provide preliminary evidence that ICBT can be effective for Indigenous and White PSP alike.
Where do we go from here?
Cultural adaptation is widely understood to enhance effectiveness, engagement, and/or treatment satisfaction. So, this study encourages initiatives to increase Indigenous representation among ICBT programs. Future research is also needed to identify the suitability of ICBT among the world’s many Indigenous Peoples to whom the findings cannot be generalized as well as other racialized populations. Additionally, increased outreach efforts among Indigenous communities are encouraged. Overall, these findings support the use of ICBT among Indigenous PSP.
The original wording of the study was changed and condensed for the current research summary.
Original study
Price, J.A.B., McCall, H.C., Jenna, I., McGinnis, A., McKenna, E.B., & Hadjistavropoulos H.D. (2025) https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v21i1.45461
Prepared by Taylor, A. & Price, J.A.B.