Community-based Suicide Prevention Research in Remote On-Reserve First Nations Communities

Abstract

Suicide is a complex problem linked to genetic, environmental, psychological and community factors. For the Aboriginal population more specifically, loss of culture, history of traumatic events, individual, family and community factors may also play a role in suicidal behaviour. Of particular concern is the high rate of suicide among Canadian Int J Ment Health Addiction (2010) Aboriginal youth. While the need to develop interventions to reduce suicidal behaviour for First Nations on-reserve populations is evident, there may be an element of distrust of researchers by Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, research in mental health and specifically suicide is much more sensitive than studying medical illnesses like diabetes. Clearly, this issue requires a unique and insightful approach. While numerous suicide prevention/intervention plans and guidelines have been published specifically for work involving Aboriginal people, the literature lacks a comprehensive discussion of the methodological and logistical issues faced by research teams and Aboriginal communities attempting to develop culturally-grounded and community-specific suicide prevention and intervention strategies. This paper outlines the research process, key challenges and lessons learned in a collaborative University-First Nations suicide prevention project conducted with eight north-western Manitoba First Nations communities (Canada).

Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention in First Nations Community Members: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Thus, our group, in consultation with First Nations community liaisons, created a 2‐day Resilience Retreat (RR) with a focus on increasing youth resilience. Our group's qualitative studies with over 130 community members in Swampy Cree communities showed a strong perceived need for youth, community members, and elders to work together to develop solutions within their own communities . Not only is their concern about the loss of culture and language, but a breakdown in the communication between youth and community members.…”

“…Our group's qualitative studies with over 130 community members in Swampy Cree communities showed a strong perceived need for youth, community members, and elders to work together to develop solutions within their own communities. [15] Not only is their concern about the loss of culture and language, but a breakdown in the communication between youth and community members. The Community Advisory Committee suggested that there is a need for retreats that bring together multiple generations that are focused on Depression and Anxiety building resilience among youth and community.…”

A scoping review: The utility of participatory research approaches in psychology

“…As noted above, over half of the studies with Indigenous Peoples reported using collaborative design processes (e.g., Allen et al, ; Bainbridge et al, ; Brown et al, ; Smylie, Kaplan‐Myrth, & McShane, ). Besides forming advisory groups, collaborative study design with Indigenous Peoples or Nations often involved meetings with Elders (e.g., Isaak et al, ; Johnson, Bartgis, Worley, Hellman, & Burkhart, ; Jumper‐Reeves, Dustman, Harthun, Kulis, & Brown, ; Potv et al, ), establishing open and iterative processes of discussions among researchers and community participants (e.g., formal and informal Nation leadership, and general community members), and working with language interpreters or cultural advisors to identify key areas of research interest and best practices for collecting and using information. Collaborative design processes were also identified as being useful for selecting appropriate underpinning theoretical research frames (Allen et al, ; Allen & Mohatt, ).…”

Negotiation, Reciprocity, and Reality: The Experience of Collaboration in a Community-Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC) Program of Research with Eight Manitoba First Nations

“…Collaborative research can be a learning process for non-Indigenous researchers working with Indigenous communities. It requires critical reflection on one's beliefs and acknowledgement of the pervasiveness of colonial thought (Isaak, Campeau, Katz, Enns, Elias, & Sareen, 2010), and the reality of continuing practices and policies of colonization. It has been cautioned that the process of engaging Indigenous communities, if done uncritically in service of ethics guidelines rather than in service of ethical research, can cause harm (Brunger & Wall, 2016).…”