Purpose: Much research has focused on describing the prevalence and predictors of pathological functioning among American Indian adolescents. However, some American Indian youth manage to remain relatively problem free and function successfully. In this study, we take a strengths approach to examine environmental, familial, and cultural factors related to successful functioning in American Indian youth.

Methods: A stratified random sample of 205 reservation and 196 urban American Indian adolescents living in Southwestern United States were interviewed in person in 2001. We created a success index based on the following seven indicators: good mental health, being alcohol and drug free, absence of serious misbehavior, clean police record, good grades, positive psychosocial functioning, and positive behavior and emotions.

Results: Findings indicate that approximately one-fifth to over one half of American Indian youth experienced positive outcomes in at least one of the seven different areas of functioning. Multivariate analyses reveal that family satisfaction enhanced overall successful functioning (b=.10, p<.0001), whereas knowing many misbehaving peers (b=-.10, p<.0001), living in a dysfunctional neighborhood (b=-.10, p<.01), and having experienced child abuse (b=-.44, p<.01) interfered with it. These four factors explained 35% of variance in overall successful functioning (F=41.04, p<.0001). Participation in American Indian traditions was bivariately related to less successful functioning. In the multivariate model participation contributed no unique variance but did interact with having misbehaving peers (b=.003, p<.05). Youth involved in American Indian traditional activities had less success than those not so involved. However, if the involved youth also had misbehaving peers, their success was dramatically diminished.

Implications for practice: This study identified several modifiable environmental factors that should be incorporated into programs designed to support American Indian youth in their growth, development, and ultimate outcomes.