The results from a comprehensive study showed that residential school survivors and their descendents are more likely to suffer worse health outcomes than those who did not attend or are not descended from residential school survivors. The study looked at physical and mental health, employment and income, and housing and residential school experiences. While the number of survivors from residential schools who are alive is decreasing, their descendants still carry the trauma from the previous generation. On a positive note, the number of adults who have not finished high school decreased, smoking rates for youth were cut in half, fetal alcohol syndrome rates have decreased, along with the rates of mothers smoking while pregnant.
Source: Mia Rabson. The Canadian Press. “Residential school survivors, descendants, show poorer health outcomes: survey.” March 14, 2018. Turtle Island News. http://theturtleislandnews.com/index.php/2018/03/14/residential-school-survivors-descendents-show-poorer-health-outcomes-survey/
