Weaving Healthy Families Program: Promoting Resilience While Reducing Violence and Substance Use

Abstract

Purpose:

We examine pilot results for the culturally adapted Weaving Healthy Families (WHF) program to promote resilience and wellness while preventing substance abuse and violence among Native American (NA) families.

Methods:

Results were drawn from paired sample t tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA) with a convenience sample of 24 adults and adolescents from eight NA families (pretest, posttest, and, where available, 6-month postintervention).

Results:

Along with substance abuse reduction and prevention, t test results indicated reductions in (a) adult depressive symptoms and improvements in adult conflict resolution and health behaviors; (b) adolescent wellness; and (c) adult and adolescent resilience, communal mastery, social support, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. ANOVA tests revealed reductions in adult psychological and physical violence and improvements in adult and adolescent family resilience, family environment, and emotional regulation.

Conclusions:

Results reveal promising preliminary results for the WHF program to promote resilience and thriving while reducing risk for substance abuse and violence in NA families.

Keywords

Native American substance abuse intimate partner violence resilience families

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