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Electronic health interventions involve health services delivered using the Internet and related communication technologies. These services can be particularly relevant for Indigenous populations who often have differential access to health-care services compared to general populations, especially within rural and remote areas. As the popularity of electronic health interventions grows, there is an increased need for evidence-based recommendations for the effective use of these technologies. The current study is a systematic review of peer-reviewed and available grey literature with the aim of understanding outcomes of electronic health interventions for mental health concerns among Indigenous people. Studies used electronic health technologies for substance use treatment or prevention, suicide prevention, parenting supports, goal setting and behaviour change and consultation services. Various technological platforms were used across interventions, with both novel and adapted intervention development. Most studies provided qualitative results, with fewer studies focusing on quantitative outcomes. Some preliminary results from the engagement of Indigenous individuals with electronic health services has been demonstrated, but further research is needed to confirm these results. Identified barriers and facilitators are identified from the reviewed literature. Recommendations for future development of electronic health interventions for Indigenous youth are provided.

Health concerns in Indigenous people are often greater in comparison to those in non-Indigenous populations, including increased rates of chronic diseases and mental health concerns. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be an explanatory variable for such heightened rates of mental and physical health difficulties for Indigenous populations as these communities have experienced a lack of adequate health care due to remoteness, historical traumas, cultural insensitivity, racism, and perpetuating systemic discrimination. To date, relatively few studies have examined ACEs within an Indigenous population and their relevance to both physical and mental health outcomes. The present study explored existing ACE literature relevant to Indigenous populations and mental or physical health outcomes by retrieving and organizing available ACE literature. A systematic review was conducted using 14 electronic databases of peer-reviewed literature and 18 grey literature databases. Twenty-one publications investigating general health outcomes and prevalence of ACEs met eligibility criteria. ACEs were reported to be higher in Indigenous populations when compared to non-Indigenous population. Higher ACE scores for Indigenous participants were associated with increased rates of suicidality and psychological distress. Protective factors to reduce the impact of ACEs were cultural identity and connectedness, education, social support, and psychological resilience. Future research may further explore the relationship between ACE scores and protective factors, varying prevalence within specific sub-populations, and consistent reporting of outcomes across studies. Ongoing research has the potential to clarify existing dose–response relationships between early traumatic experiences and current health disparities experienced within some Indigenous communities.

Examining treatment outcomes of nonresidential and residential treatment programs may suggest best practices for Indigenous communities delivering treatment services. A systematic review of peer-reviewed and gray literatures comparing treatment outcomes for Indigenous populations was completed. Three studies compared treatment outcomes and reported varying results. Reported outcomes were retention and relapse rates, cultural knowledge, and participant treatment duration. Most retrieved studies described residential treatment outcomes, but it was unclear whether this modality is the best option for Indigenous people seeking treatment. Further research describing treatment modalities, across a continuum of care, situated within culturally developed treatment frameworks is required.

Aim This study aimed to assess the Parent–Adolescent Communication Toolkit, an online intervention designed to help improve parent communication with their adolescents. Participant preferences for two module delivery systems (sequential and unrestricted module access) were identified. Design Usability assessment of the PACT intervention was completed using pre‐test and posttest comparisons. Usability data, including participant completion and satisfaction ratings were examined. Methods Parents (N = 18) of adolescents were randomized to a sequential or unrestricted chapter access group. Parent participants completed pre‐test measures, the PACT intervention and posttest measures. Participants provided feedback for the intervention to improve modules and provided usability ratings. Adolescent pre‐ and posttest ratings were evaluated. Results Usability ratings were high and parent feedback was positive. The sequential module access groups rated the intervention content higher and completed more content than the unrestricted chapter access group, indicating support for the sequential access design. Parent mean posttest communication scores were significantly higher (p

Moving towards reconciliation within Indigenous research requires the careful examination of existing practices at all stages of the research process. Engagement in and dissemination of reflexive processes may increase the relevance of research results for Indigenous communities and partners. This article describes and contextualizes the results obtained from this qualitative research study examining parenting needs and child reunification in these communities. The initial results were deemed relevant by the partnering community but research stakeholders reported that they did not reflect all community values. Based on the advice of the Research Advisory Group, the research team decided to further analyze the results to address these shortcomings. The reanalysis process focused on improving the perceived meaningfulness and relevance to communities. Exploration of how these results were re-situated in an Indigenous framework of wellbeing is discussed. Researcher reflections about the project processes and considerations for future research are explored.

Evaluation of an eHealth platform, Intelligent Research and Intervention Software was undertaken via cross-sectional survey of staff users and application performance monitoring. The platform is used to deliver psychosocial interventions across a range of clinical contexts, project scopes, and delivery modalities (e.g. hybrid telehealth, fully online self-managed, randomized control trials, and clinical service delivery). Intelligent Research and Intervention Software supports persuasive technology elements (e.g. tailoring, reminders, and personalization) as well as staff management tools. Results from the System Usability Scale involving 30 Staff and Administrative users across multiple projects were positive with overall mean score of 70 (“Acceptable”). The mean score for “Usability” sub-scale was 82 and for “Learnability” sub-scale 61. There were no significant differences in perceptions of usability across user groups or levels of experience. Application performance management analytics (e.g. Application Performance Index scores) across two test sites indicate the software platform is robust and reliable when compared to industry standards. Intelligent Research and Intervention Software is successfully operating as a flexible platform for creating, delivering, and evaluating eHealth interventions.

Indigenous communities and federal funding agencies in Canada have developed policy for ethical research with Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous scholars and communities have begun to expand the body of research regarding their peoples, and novel and innovative methods have begun to appear in the published literature. This review attempts to catalogue the wide array of Indigenous research methods in the peer-reviewed literature and describe commonalities among methods in order to guide researchers and communities in future method development. A total of 64 articles met inclusionary criteria and five themes emerged: General Indigenous Frameworks, Western Methods in an Indigenous Context, Community-Based Participatory Research, Storytelling, and Culture-Specific Methods.