A culturally informed approach to American Indian/Alaska Native youth suicide prevention.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native youth, and within the Alaska Native youth subpopulation, the leading cause of death. In response to this public health crisis, American Indian and Alaska Native communities have created strategies to protect their young people by building resilience using localized Indigenous well-being frameworks and cultural strengths. These approaches to suicide prevention emphasize promotion of protective factors over risk reduction. A measure of culturally based protective factors from suicide risk has potential to assess outcomes from these strengths-based, culturally grounded suicide prevention efforts, and can potentially address several substantive concerns regarding direct assessment of suicide risk. We report on the Reasons for Life (RFL) scale, a measure of protective factors from suicide, testing psychometric properties including internal structure with 302 rural Alaska Native Yup’ik youth. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the RFL is best described through three distinct first-order factors organized under one higher second-order factor. Item response theory analyses identified 11 satisfactorily functioning items. The RFL correlates with other measures of more general protective factors. Implications of these findings are described, including generalizability to other American Indian and Alaska Native, other Indigenous, and other culturally distinct suicide disparities groups.

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“Togetherness:” the role of intergenerational and cultural engagement in urban American Indian and Alaskan Native youth suicide prevention

Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work ◽

10.1080/15313204.2020.1770648 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Celina M. Doria ◽

Sandra L. Momper ◽

Rachel L. Burrage

Keyword(s):

American Indian ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Youth Suicide ◽

Alaskan Native ◽

Cultural Engagement ◽

Native Youth ◽

Urban American Indian

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“Togetherness:” the role of intergenerational and cultural engagement in urban American Indian and Alaskan Native youth suicide prevention

Indigenous Health Equity and Wellness ◽

10.4324/9781003152279-7 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109-126

Author(s):

Celina M. Doria ◽

Sandra L. Momper ◽

Rachel L. Burrage

Keyword(s):

American Indian ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Youth Suicide ◽

Alaskan Native ◽

Cultural Engagement ◽

Native Youth ◽

Urban American Indian

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Understanding Indigenous Suicide Through a Theoretical Lens: A Review of General, Culturally-Based, and Indigenous Frameworks

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1363461518778937 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 775-799 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Victoria M. O’Keefe ◽

Raymond P. Tucker ◽

Ashley B. Cole ◽

David W. Hollingsworth ◽

LaRicka R. Wingate

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

American Indian ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Alaska Native ◽

Theoretical Frameworks ◽

Prevention And Intervention ◽

Culturally Informed ◽

Culturally Based ◽

Potential Applicability ◽

Indigenous Perspective

Many American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities throughout North America continue to experience the devastating impact of suicide. Theoretical explanations of suicide from a psychological, sociological, cultural, and Indigenous perspective all differ in focus and applicability to AI/AN communities. These diverse theoretical frameworks and models are presented herein to examine the potential applicability, strengths, and limitations in understanding AI/AN suicide. In providing these perspectives, continued discussions and empirical examinations of AI/AN suicide can guide informative, culturally-informed suicide prevention and intervention efforts.

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A Pilot Evaluation of Culture Camps to Increase Alaska Native Youth Wellness

Health Promotion Practice ◽

10.1177/1524839918824078 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 363-371

Author(s):

Jodi D. Barnett ◽

Tara C. Schmidt ◽

Bridie Trainor ◽

Lisa Wexler

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention ◽

Alaska Native ◽

Evaluation Research ◽

Historical Trauma ◽

Emotional States ◽

Cultural Approach ◽

Native Youth ◽

And Coping ◽

Subsistence Activities ◽

Significant Health

Suicide is a significant health disparity among Alaska Native youth, which is linked to cultural disruptions brought about by colonialism and historical trauma. Many Indigenous suicide prevention efforts center on revitalizing and connecting youth to their culture to promote mental health and resilience. A common cultural approach to improve psychosocial outcomes is youth culture camps, but there has been little evaluation research to test this association. Here, we conduct a pilot evaluation of a 5-day culture camp developed in two remote regions of Alaska. The camps bring together Alaska Native youth from villages in these regions to take part in subsistence activities, develop new relationships, develop life skills, and learn traditional knowledge and values. This pilot evaluation of the culture camps uses a quantitative pre/post design to examine the outcomes of self-esteem, emotional states, belongingness, mattering to others, and coping skills among participants. Results indicate that culture camps can significantly increase positive mood, feelings of belongingness, and perceived coping of participants. Culture camps are a common suicide prevention effort in Indigenous circumpolar communities, and although limited in scope and design, this pilot evaluation offers some evidence to support culture camps as a health promotion intervention that can reduce suicide risk.

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