Aboriginal children express pain differently from non-Aboriginal children, and therefore may not receive the same levels of health care when they seek help…“Because they are very stoic about pain, health practitioners often don’t pick it up,” explains Dr. Latimer. “Aboriginal children will sit quietly in an emergency room for hours, and others will be seen before them. Their pain is not recognized and so they are fearful when they come to the health-care system, and there is a lot of distrust and frustration resulting in repeat visits and persistent pain.”
Dr. Latimer’s research has uncovered historical and cultural components of pain, and how pain is expressed. Because of the history of the Canadian residential schools, Aboriginal children learned to suppress their feelings, a cultural adaptation which has become inter-generational.
Understanding How Aboriginal Children Express Pain
this is a project headed and designed by indigenous researchers, for the benefit of indigenous communities. they are competing for funding so that they can disseminate their findings among health professionals and hopefully get better care for Aboriginal children, and they need your vote! voting closes October 28, 2015–more info and the voting link in the original article linked above.
(via lezbongs)