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This study aimed to document the prevalence and factors associated with complete mental health (CMH) among Aboriginal peoples living in Canada. CMH is comprised of three parts: 1) the absence of major depressive episode, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, serious suicidal thoughts, and substance dependence in the past year as measured by the World Health Organization (WHO) versions of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI), 2) happiness and/or satisfaction with life in the past month, and 3) psychological and social well-being. The method involved secondary analysis of Statistics Canada's 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Responses from Aboriginal peoples living in Canada off-reserve ( n  = 965) were examined to determine what percentage were in CMH and what characteristics are associated with being in CMH. Data analysis involved both bivariate and multivariate analytic techniques to examine factors associated with CMH among Aboriginal peoples. Overall, two-thirds of Aboriginal peoples (67.9%) living in Canada were in CMH. Those with a post-secondary degree, who had a confidant, and those who were free of disabling chronic pain were more likely to be in CMH. Additionally, the odds of CMH were higher among those without a history of suicidal ideation, major depression, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, anxiety disorder, or difficulty sleeping. Findings from this study provide indications of substantial resiliency among Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

To explore factors associated with recovery from suicidal ideation among Aboriginal peoples living off reserve in Canada. Recovery is defined as being free of serious suicidal thoughts for the past year. Data for this study came from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, a nationally representative sample of Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are living off-reserve. The sample consisted of those who had seriously considered suicide at some point in their life (n = 2,680). Those who had been suicidal in the past year were compared to those who were no longer suicidal using Pearson chi-square and logistic regression analyses. Several factors were associated with recovery among Aboriginal peoples living off-reserve in Canada who had previously been suicidal. Recovery was higher among women, individuals who were older, and those who were food secure, spoke an Aboriginal language, had a high school degree, had a confidant, and had no previous diagnosis of mood disorders or learning disability. Several sociodemographic factors appear to influence recovery from suicidality among Aboriginal peoples. Intervention approaches to promote recovery from suicidal ideation would benefit from targeted outreach, a strength-based, culturally-specific approach using traditional practices, and encouraging involvement of various community members to foster resilience and formation of relationships.