Transcript Slide 1
Suicide Prevention Strategies for American Indian/ Alaska Native Youth: Understanding the Importance of Culture Teresa LaFromboise, PhD [email protected]
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Community-Driven Approach: American Indian Life Skills
24 20 Pueblo of Zuni 16 12 8 4 0 Males Females
Risk Factors Intervention Mediating Factors
Outcome Variables
Acculturation Stress Historical Trauma Pervasive Poverty Avoidant Coping Community Violence Family Disruption Interpersonal Problems Depression Substance Abuse Psychological Disorder Age/Gender Stress AILS Intervention Approach Coping Ineffective Problem Solving Negative Thinking Suicide Effective Problem Solving Resilient Adaptation Positive Thinking
LaFromboise & Fatima, 2011
Historical Trauma
Loss stemming from HT (daily or more thoughts about their tribe’s loss of land) is often on the minds of 20.5% of Native adolescents in the 11 to 13-yr. old age group .
Whitbeck et al., 2009
Acculturation Stress
Vulnerable negative mental health outcomes: anxiety, depression, feelings of marginality, heightened psychosomatic symptom levels, and identity confusion Suicide rates were positively associated with acculturation stress and negatively associated with traditional integration in 18 tribes (Lester, 1999).
Substance Abuse
Of the 10 leading causes of death among Native adolescents, at least 3 are related to heavy alcohol use: Accidents, suicide, and homicide (Indian Health Service, 2002).
Community Violence
• Meichenbaum reported on 85 Inuit youth sexually abused by a teacher: suicide rate of Inuit males was 119/100,000. Suicide rate among the cohort of sexually abused Inuit male youth: 200/100,000.
American Indian Life Skills Target Skills Positive thinking / Problem solving
• • • • • • Open communication Handling depression Stress management Anger regulation Suicide prevention Goal setting
Effectiveness of the American Indian Life Skills (N=128)
• • Student Posttest Survey Hopelessness Confidence in ability to manage anger • • Behavioral Role Play Study Peer suicide intervention skills Peer problem solving skills
Effectiveness of Public Health Approach for Suicide Prevention
May et al., 2005
San Juan County Partnership Evaluation of AILS (N=90) Effect of Time on Outcomes at Post-Test Controlling for Pretest Scores
Hopelessness * Suicide Risk * Public Collective Esteem* (What participants believe others think about their race/ethnicity) Self-Efficacy** Self-Awareness*** *p<.05, **p<.01. ***p<.001