Mental Health of Eastern Oklahoma Indians: An Exploration

Abstract

North American Indians have attracted a great deal of research interest, particularly on the part of anthropologists; yet relatively little is known about their mental health. Intelligence tests and other instruments such as the Rorschach have proved most popular in attempts to assess the Indian's intellectual ability and personality. Havighurst's review of intelligence studies indicates that the innate capacity of Indian children is equivalent to that of non-Indians. He concludes that because of differences in culture and life conditions, Indian children are at a disadvantage compared with white children. Kerchoff's study of anomie and achievement motivation among Chippewa children supports Havighurst's conclusions with social psychological data.