NCJ Number
227674
Journal
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: March 1988 Pages: 36-55
Date Published
March 1988
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Updated data is presented from a revised study on the prevalence of suicide in Alaska from 1978 to 1985.
Abstract
Results of the study indicated an average increase of 38 percent in the number of suicides recorded from 1978 through 1985 in Alaska. Excluding 1979, Alaska's suicide rate was among the top four in the United States. Since 1978, no significant decrease has occurred in the Alaska Native suicide rate, and the problem is serious among younger males. In addition to these results, sociocultural stress associated with rapid change continues to be identified as the cause of increased suicide among the young in many settings. Although 47 Alaska Natives committed suicide in 1985, more than 75,000 did not, even though they also were exposed to the stress associated with rapid social change. There is a critical need to identify specific factors in the lives of those who choose suicide; however, this research cannot be done from computer data. Two research questions which can be answered from the computerized data are (1) investigation of the hypothesis stated in the Alaska Native Health Board (ANHB) report indicating that the construction of the oil pipeline was associated with an increased rate of suicide, and (2) the cohort effect. Tables, figures, notes, and references