Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans and the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 10 and 34. Native communities bear the largest burden of suicide among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States, with Native youth being disproportionately affected. In parallel with National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month each September, Hope for Life Day provides the opportunity to increase awareness and spotlight current efforts toward Native suicide prevention.
This issue features information that individuals and communities can use to raise awareness about suicide. It is brought to you by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the Indian Health Service (IHS); and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), all components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Population of focus: Native communities, youth
Links to resource:
- View the full resource guide from the NIH
- Suicide Prevention in Indian Country is a fact sheet from SAMHSA’s Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center developed for tribes and the agencies that work with them
- Suicide Clusters Within American Indian and Alaska Native Communities, a report from SAMHSA, reviews what is known about suicide clusters within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and uses that information to provide recommendations for stakeholders working to prevent and contain suicide clusters within AI/AN communities
- Suicides Among American Indian/Alaska Natives from the CDC presents an analysis of National Violent Death Reporting System data from 18 states comparing differences in characteristics and circumstances between AI/AN and white individuals who have died by suicide
- The RISING SUN Toolkit, an NIMH-led mental health resource, offers information to support suicide prevention efforts in Arctic Indigenous communities
- The SAMHSA-funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center American Indian/Alaska Native Settings portal gives health professionals resources to support suicide prevention and promote mental health among Native populations
- Three NIMH-funded collaborative research hubs are exploring the factors behind the high suicide rates among AI/AN youth and designing and testing approaches to prevent suicide
Date: 2018