The Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act: The Treatment of Alaskan Natives in Mental Health Policy

Abstract

In the 21st century, racial and ethnic disparities have been at the forefront of social justice movements, and yet, it is important to interrogate these disparities across U.S. history. American Indians and Alaskan Native people have historically been treated differently in health care. The Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act (AMHEA) of 1956 serves as a case study for addressing access to mental health care services, especially for Native Alaskans. Prior to the passage of the AMHEA, Morningside Psychiatric Hospital in Portland, Oregon, offered inpatient mental health services for Alaskan Natives and other residents of the Pacific Northwest. In the first half of the 20th century, few psychiatric services were available in the then-territory of Alaska. In my thesis research, I analyze the AMHEA as a historical case study for mental health care for Native Alaskans, and for other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. The primary research for my thesis comes from archival sources, including from UO Special Collections, and from interviews with key informants involved in the AMHEA legislation. Using these sources, my thesis assesses the impact of the AMHEA on the Alaskan Natives from the bill’s passage to the present. I use this case study to reflect on the types of mental health policies that could be used to remedy racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care in the U.S.