Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Gessner, Bradford D.

doi:10.1037/e433612008-004

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The rates of completed suicides for the Canadian Inuit from 1987-1991 were 3.9 times higher than that of the general Canadian population and continued to increase over the study period (1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996) (98). These results are comparable to suicide rates found in other circumpolar peoples (74,99,102,117,(165)(166)(167)(168)(169) …”

Section: Diet and Mental Healthsupporting

confidence: 78%

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

McGrath-Hanna¹,

Greene

Tavernier

et al. 2003

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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Background. The people living in Arctic and Subarctic environments have adapted to cold temperatures, short growing seasons, and low precipitation, but their traditional ways are now changing due to increased contact with Western society. The rapid alteration of circumpolar cultures has led to generational changes in diet from traditional foods to the processed groceries common in modern stores. Objectives. Develop a link between changing traditional diets and mental health that may have substantial consequences for circumpolar peoples. Methods. Review of English language literature pertaining to the northern circumpolar environments of the world that consist of the Arctic and Subarctic areas. Electronic resources such as ISI Web of Science and PubMed were utilized, using keywords such as arctic, circumpolar, diet, omega-3 fatty acids, mental health, seasonal affective disorder, and suicide. In addition, we used the cited references of obtained articles and the extensive University of Alaska Fairbanks library collections to identify additional publications that were not available from the electronic resources. The years covered were not restricted to any particular period, although 83% of the sources were published in the last 16 years. Conclusion. The change in traditional diets has already led to increased health problems, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, while the mental health of circumpolar peoples has also declined substantially during the same time period. The decline in mental health is characterized by increased rates of depression, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, and suicide, that now often occur at higher rates than in lower-latitude populations. Studies in non-circumpolar peoples have shown that diet can have profound effects on neuronal and brain development, function, and health. Therefore, we hypothesize that diet is an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples.

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Section: Diet and Mental Healthsupporting

confidence: 78%

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

McGrath-Hanna¹,

Greene

Tavernier

et al. 2003

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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“…In Aboriginal adolescents, it is at least five times more likely than in other Canadian youth (Kirmayer et al, 2007). Within this younger age range, other indicators of poor mental well-being including SI, SA, substance use, and depressive symptomatology are also disproportionately prevalent in indigenous youth than in other adolescents (Frank & Lester, 2002;Gessner, 1997;Harris, Gordon-Larsen, Chantala, & Udry, 2006;Rutman, Park, Castor, Taualii, & Forquera, 2008;Saluja et al, 2004;Spear, Longshore, McCaffrey, & Ellickson, 2005;Whitbeck, Yu, Johnson, Hoyt, & Walls, 2008). Individuals of this age range and ethnic group combined, then, are likely a vulnerable population for greater all-around psychological distress.…”

Section: Statement Of the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlates of Suicidality: Investigation of a Representative Sample of Manitoba First Nations Adolescents

Mota

Elias²,

Tefft³

et al. 2012

Am J Public Health

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The present study examined community/tribe, peer/family, and individual correlates of suicidal behaviour in a representative on-reserve sample of First Nations Bivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between a range of factors and lifetime suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and any suicidality. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified those correlates most strongly related to any suicidality. Findings showed that several correlates were found to be associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal behaviour, including being female, depressed mood, abuse/fear of abuse, a hospital stay, and substance use. Results of this study will likely be of importance in informing First Nations and government policy related to the implementation of suicide prevention strategies in Manitoban First Nations communities.Correlates of Suicidality iii Acknowledgements

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“…This variance may stem from the different orientations of the two age groups: youths seem to value voluntary and informal interactions with adults, while adult respondents place greater significance on organized efforts. However, these kinds of formal programs have had very little impact on suicide rates in rural Alaskan villages (6,14).…”

Section: Original Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understanding these can illuminate "…how the idea of suicide becomes internalized and later selected as a course of action by some people" (17). Without this insight, suicide prevention strategies aimed at this specific subgroup are not likely to be effective, and have not been (6,14). "In order for meaningful and locally acceptable change to occur in Alaskan native villages, the problems must not be defined by professionals, but rather by the community and within the cognitive framework of the community."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This patterned health disparity has spurred research that investigates the psychological aspects of suicide (depression, problem solving, coping skills) (8,10,11), social factors of suicide (socio-economic class, family stress, social role, unemployment, and education) (8,12,13), and the comorbidity of alcohol and suicide (12,14). The research has also cited acculturation stress as a cause of Inuit youth suicide (3,4,6,10,15,16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Youth and adult community member beliefs about Inupiat youth suicide and its prevention.

Wexler¹,

Goodwin²

2006

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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Objectives. To better understand youth and adult community members' perceived causes and possible preventative steps to address the high Inupiat youth suicide rates in Northwest Alaska. Study Design. A five-item, open-ended survey focusing on community members' perceptions of suicide causes, warning signs, and protective factors was administered in the twelve Native villages served by the Maniilaq Association, a native non-profit organization. Methods. A total of 382 surveys were completed. Qualitative answers were assigned to categories by two reviewers. Main categories are described reflecting the percentages of all response categories and those of youth and adult respondents. To discern whether the difference in proportion between adult and youth respondents was significant, a two-tailed z test was used to compare the two category proportions with their respective sample sizes. Results. The results showed that villagers believe that a community-based approach is most beneficial. Many risk factors for suicide were associated with alienation, and prevention strategies were linked to increased communication and connection with others, their culture and spirituality. The results also show that different perspectives are held by adults and youth. Adult respondents identified boredom as the primary reason for suicide. This-according to adult survey responses-can be addressed through programs offering young people activities, education, and a sense of culture. In contrast, the majority of young people attribute suicide to stress. The young respondents answers highlight the need for adults to talk to them about their everyday lives and their futures so that they receive the guidance and support they need to navigate difficulties that arise. Conclusions. These differing adult and youth conceptions of youth suicide prevention need to be aligned in order to create effective youth suicide prevention strategies for Inupiat and other Native populations. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2006;65(5):448-458.)

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Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

Correlates of Suicidality: Investigation of a Representative Sample of Manitoba First Nations Adolescents

Youth and adult community member beliefs about Inupiat youth suicide and its prevention.

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