Domains of Mental Wellness

When we talk about Inuit mental wellness, there are five domains to consider within the holistic approach. It is believed that if any one of these elements is of out of alignment, out of sync, then there may not be a good balance of mental wellness. 

So when we look at the physical elements that can impact someone, we can see the intersectionality, or how one or several issues, can affect our mental wellness on any given day. In fact, our mental status fluctuates really throughout the day, so being aware of what others are dealing with is very important if you are working at a frontline level.

• Physical – food, shelter, clothing and intimacy and gender division of roles and responsibilities
• Social - family harmony and inclusion in community
• Spiritual – shamanism / Christianity / mindfulness / sila
• Emotional – close family ties and between groups based on societal values of respect, trust and sharing

• Mental – wellness of individual sense of purpose, identity, value and esteem