Well-being among indigenous children and youth in the Arctic – with a focus on Sami and Greenland Inuit

Introduction: Children and youth in the Arctic regions of the Nordic countries represent Indigenous Peoples and are in some aspects a vulnerable group. The aim of this study was to scope the literature to identify knowledge gaps, action
taken and needed, as well as directions for future research and interventions in regards to indicators for the wellbeing of indigenous children and youth in the Arctic region of the Nordic countries and Greenland. Methods: Literature (both scientific and grey) on the well-being among children and youth in the Arctic region was reviewed. The search was limited to the timeframe 2009-2017. A search syntax inspired by Augustsson and Hagquist was applied in the databases PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO. Results: From 247 scientific articles focusing on well-being of children and youth, 27 were found relevant to the Arctic context. Additionally, 31 documents and 46 homepages categorized as grey, non-peer-reviewed literature were reviewed of which 28 sources were selected. Discussion: The findings of the scoping review indicate that the focus on indigenous children’s and youth’s well-being in the Nordic countries is limited. This study reveals how the efforts for promoting children’s and youth’s well-being and mental health in the Arctic need to be developed in close collaboration with the local population in the Arctic region, children as well as adults. The evidence for actions and initiatives with a focus on involving cultural identity, skills in the nature and local connection are increasing in the north American literature, but hardly existing in literature on Sápmi and Greenland.