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 […]
Adolescents
Building a Culture of Health by Creating Opportunities for Boys and Young Men of Color
Expanding opportunities and eliminating barriers to health and success for young men of color is critical to fully realizing a national “culture of health,” a series of issue briefs from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds. Commissioned in conjunction with RWJF’s $12 million commitment to Forward Promise, an initiative to improve the prospects of boys […]
Childhood Trauma and Illicit Drug Use in Adolescence: A Population-Based National Comorbidity Survey Replication–Adolescent Supplement Study
Research from a national sample of almost 10,000 U.S. adolescents found psychological trauma, especially abuse and domestic violence before age 11, can increase the likelihood of experimentation with drugs in adolescence, independent of a history of mental illness. The research, led by Mailman School of Public Health postdoctoral fellow Hannah Carliner and Associate Professor Silvia […]
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care for Children and Young Adults: A National Study
One in five Americans is estimated to have a mental health condition at any given time. But getting treatment remains difficult — and it’s worse for children, especially those who identify as black or Hispanic. That’s the major finding in research published in the International Journal of Health Services. The study examines how often young […]
No Place for Youth: Girls in the Adult Justice System
This report focuses on the growing population of girls younger than 18 in adult correctional facilities. The bulletin summarizes current research, incorporates input from practitioners, and offers recommendations for improving conditions and outcomes for girls who are sentenced to adult facilities. Population of focus: Girls younger than 18 in adult correctional facilities Links to resource: […]
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 […]