Between 2009 and 2011, two tribal communities located approximately 3,000 miles apart—an American Indian tribe on a reservation in New Mexico and a group of closely knit Alaska Native villages in western Alaska—experienced clusters of youth suicides. Across these communities, 25 young people, all American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), took their own lives. At least 28 others attempted suicide, 19 of whom […]
Reservation
Surveillance Success Stories: Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Following a coordinated emergency response to a suicide cluster in 2010, tribal leaders began collecting data from multiple sources to describe detailed circumstances of suicide ideation, attempts and deaths. This allowed them to identify the role of substance abuse in suicide attempts and initiate family education for family members of previously suicidal individuals when they […]
Advancing Health Equity for Native American Youth: Workshop Summary
More than 2 million Americans below age 24 self-identify as being of American Indian or Alaska Native descent. Many of the serious behavioral, emotional, and physical health concerns facing young people today are especially prevalent with Native youth (e.g., depression, violence, and substance abuse). Adolescent Native Americans have death rates two to five times the […]
Community Resources for Suicide Prevention in Indian Country
To highlight the resilience and strength of American Indian and Alaska Native people, and to encourage those communities who have or are currently experiencing the devastation of suicide, the Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center in collaboration with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center presented a webinar to help Tribes and communities learn more about […]
Suicide in Indian Country: The Continuing Epidemic in Rural Native American Communities
A review of suicide in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities found that successful suicide prevention programs used in these communities generally (1) address risk factors while “building individual self-efficacy and positive self-image,” (2) “are strength-based and culturally sensitive,” and (3) include traditional healing practices as well as cultural/spiritual development. After reviewing the literature, […]
Trends in Indian Health: 2014 Edition
Trends in Indian Health contains tables and charts describing the Indian Health Service program and the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Information pertaining to the Indian Health Service (IHS) structure, American Indian and Alaska Native demography, patient care, and community health are included. Historical trends are depicted, and comparisons to other population […]