Suicides Among American Indian/Alaska Natives - National Violent Death Reporting System, 18 States, 2003-2014

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Mar 2;67(8):237-242. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6708a1.

Abstract

Suicide disproportionately affects American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN). The suicide rate among AI/AN has been increasing since 2003 (1), and in 2015, AI/AN suicide rates in the 18 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) were 21.5 per 100,000, more than 3.5 times higher than those among racial/ethnic groups with the lowest rates.* To study completed suicides across all ages of AI/AN, NVDRS data collected from 2003 to 2014 were analyzed by comparing differences in suicide characteristics and circumstances between AI/AN and white decedents. Group differences were assessed using chi-squared tests and logistic regression. Across multiple demographics, incident characteristics, and circumstances, AI/AN decedents were significantly different from white decedents. More than one third (35.7%) of AI/AN decedents were aged 10-24 years (versus 11.1% of whites). Compared with whites, AI/AN decedents had 6.6 times the odds of living in a nonmetropolitan area, 2.1 times the odds of a positive alcohol toxicology result, and 2.4 times the odds of a suicide of a friend or family member affecting their death. Suicide prevention efforts should incorporate evidence-based, culturally relevant strategies at individual, interpersonal, and community levels (2) and need to account for the heterogeneity among AI/AN communities (3,4).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alaska Natives / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Suicide / ethnology*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult