Citation

Tait CL, Butt P, Henry R, Bland R. Can. J. Commun. Ment. Health 2017; 36(1): 55-65.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Wifrid Laurier University Press)

DOI

10.7870/cjcmh-2017-004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Suicide is a concern for many Indigenous communities in Canada. Suicide rates in Canada have decreased but rates in Saskatchewan remain above the national average. In northern Saskatchewan, where First Nations and Métis people make up 85% of the population, suicide rates are well above the national rate. The majority of reported suicides in this region are committed by adolescents and young adults. However, the current rate of suicide among First Nations and Métis youth in Saskatchewan cannot be determined because ethnicity is not tracked on hospitalization and coroner records. Our study argues this is a barrier to suicide prevention in Indigenous populations and recommends improvements to the design and implementation of suicide surveillance and prevention strategies.

Language: en