Suicide in Adolescent American Indians: Preventative Social Work Programs
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Suicide in Adolescent American Indians: Preventative Social Work Programs Shane M. Hamilton • Karen A. Rolf
Published online: 10 June 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract Suicide is a leading social problem among the adolescent American Indian community. This literature review examines the demographics of American Indian adolescents who attempt suicide, along with the effects it has on the entire family/community. This paper describes various programs used to address individuals, while correlating them to specific use within the American Indian population. The authors look at the effectiveness of the Adolescent Suicide Prevention Project, American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum, and Zuni Life Skills Development, along with the draw-backs associated with the implementation of each program. The importance of incorporating culturally specific programs and addressing the issue at a community level in an attempt to enhance the well-being of at-risk American Indian Adolescents is emphasized. Keywords Suicide American Indian adolescents Culture Macro prevention Zuni life skillsdevelopment program American Indian culture Adolescent suicide prevention program
American Indians are a growing population for at-risk behaviors in the United States. Current problems affecting American Indians include: poverty, alcoholism, gambling, domestic violence, and a lack of education. One social problem particularly devastating to American Indians is suicide: the American Indian community loses hundreds of individuals, particularly young adult males, each year to suicide. The federal government has implemented nationwide policies to lower S. M. Hamilton (&) Watertown, SD, USA e-mail: [email protected] K. A. Rolf University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA e-mail: [email protected]
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suicide rates, but these policies need to be modified to be culturally sensitive to American Indians. These programs have also been focused more on intervention than on prevention. By adapting services and programs that are both culturally sensitive and more focused on prevention, social workers will reduce suicides among the adolescent American Indian population, while ensuring the continuation and growth of the American Indian culture. This article describes the suicide problem in the American Indian community, surveys programs that have been established to address the issue in a culturally sensitive manner, and summarizes work on the effectiveness of these interventions.
Background on Suicide Suicide is defined as a ‘‘fatal self-inflicted destructive act with explicit or inferred intent to die’’ (Olson and Wahab 2006, p. 19). In the United States each year, approximately 30,000 lives are lost to suicide, and 650,000 people receive medical treatment for suicide attempts. Suicide rates are particularly high among American Indians, who have the highest suicide rate of all ethnic groups in the U.S. (Olson and Wahab). According to Olson and Wahab (2006), the overa
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