Suicide most often occurs when the abilities of one’s suffering from mental health exceed their current coping mechanisms and stressors to the point of feeling the need to end their life. “Suicide rates among American Indian Alaska Native children and adolescents are the highest in the United States” (Gary, Baker & Grandbois, 2005). Social and stress determinants contribute to the existing susceptibilities that Native American children will soon be confronted with. This mental health issue effects Native American teenagers by exposing them to tremendous amounts of stress, perplexity, self-doubt, hesitation about the future, peer pressure, and family expectations of wanting to be successful.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and …show more content…
Empowering Our Spirits is a powerful initiative involving educational behaviors like workshops designed to raise awareness about suicide in the reservation. “Two of the most successful interventions of the Empowering Our Spirits initiative have been A New Hope and the Re-Embracing Life projects, both of which are home-based interventions that focus on youth ages 10-19 who have made a suicide attempt” (ODPHP, 2016). A New Hope involves a video that entails how suicide impacts individuals, their families, and the community. Following the video the youth and their families discuss the film and use specific techniques to support and emphasize how important treatment is. Re-Embracing Life entails a project with community mental health workers and volunteers to provide nine meetings on coping mechanisms, problem-solving skills, and different communication proficiencies to the Native American youth.
Suicide looks extremely different in Native American communities than the general populations because Native American youth suicide is an epidemic. Since Native American youth suicide rates are so high, Native American communities and tribes become “grieved out.” Communities experiencing high rates of suicide impact them …show more content…
American Indians predominately lead with means like gunshot wounds, hanging, and many other violent actions, they also have high rates of motor vehicle crashes and violent deaths. Studies show, “Alaska Natives, firearms have been the predominant method of suicide at 75 to 85 percent” (NCBI, 2012). It also has been noted that family disruption, social disruption, and community conflict all influence Native American youth suicide rates. Native American youth face the same confusion other ethnic groups face, but they are also challenged by self-realization and self-identity as being part of their minority and whether to follow “traditional” culture of American youth.
Deaths due to suicide also take a financial toll on the community, “the cost of lost earnings from suicide in just the one year (1998) was calculated to be $11.8 billion” (NCBI, 2012). This cost does not include the medical care costs from the hospital or the costs from the lack of productivity from those suffering from the
According to the Centers for Disease Control and …show more content…
Empowering Our Spirits is a powerful initiative involving educational behaviors like workshops designed to raise awareness about suicide in the reservation. “Two of the most successful interventions of the Empowering Our Spirits initiative have been A New Hope and the Re-Embracing Life projects, both of which are home-based interventions that focus on youth ages 10-19 who have made a suicide attempt” (ODPHP, 2016). A New Hope involves a video that entails how suicide impacts individuals, their families, and the community. Following the video the youth and their families discuss the film and use specific techniques to support and emphasize how important treatment is. Re-Embracing Life entails a project with community mental health workers and volunteers to provide nine meetings on coping mechanisms, problem-solving skills, and different communication proficiencies to the Native American youth.
Suicide looks extremely different in Native American communities than the general populations because Native American youth suicide is an epidemic. Since Native American youth suicide rates are so high, Native American communities and tribes become “grieved out.” Communities experiencing high rates of suicide impact them …show more content…
American Indians predominately lead with means like gunshot wounds, hanging, and many other violent actions, they also have high rates of motor vehicle crashes and violent deaths. Studies show, “Alaska Natives, firearms have been the predominant method of suicide at 75 to 85 percent” (NCBI, 2012). It also has been noted that family disruption, social disruption, and community conflict all influence Native American youth suicide rates. Native American youth face the same confusion other ethnic groups face, but they are also challenged by self-realization and self-identity as being part of their minority and whether to follow “traditional” culture of American youth.
Deaths due to suicide also take a financial toll on the community, “the cost of lost earnings from suicide in just the one year (1998) was calculated to be $11.8 billion” (NCBI, 2012). This cost does not include the medical care costs from the hospital or the costs from the lack of productivity from those suffering from the