"Suicide and Parasuicide in a Northern Canadian Native Community":
Name
Colin Ross
Name
Brian Davis
Name
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Type of Resource
text
Abstract
This report examines "suicide and parasuicide" (suicide attempts) in a small, remote, northern Canadian native community from 1981 to 1984. During this time, "the overall rate for suicide was 77 per 100,000, with a rate of 241 for male Treaty Indians age 20-24. Parasuicide in the form of overdose was epidemic, with a rate of 7,722 per 100,000 in Treaty Indian females age 15-19. None of the completed suicides had previous contact with the mental health system or previous parasuicides." [note: Google defines parasuicide as an apparent attempt at suicide - a suicidal gesture - in which the aim is not death, such as a sublethal overdose or wrist slash. Parasuicide can be an indicator of future suicide.]..."During the three year period there were 8 suicides, 1 murder, 18 accidental deaths, and 131 parasuicides, of which 125 were by overdose."..."The present study identifies a major public health problem among native people of Norway House. If the suicide rate in WInnipeg, a city of 600,000, was the same as that for Treaty Indians, we would have close to 500 documented suicides per year. At the Norway House rate for Treaty women, we would expect doctors in Winnipeg to see about 12,000 overdoses per year. Clearly, if the entire population of Winnipeg was overdosing at this rate, a major multi-million dollar public health campaign would be launched immediately. If the suicide and parasuicide rates in Norway House are even roughly representative of those for North American Indians as a whole, further study and effective intervention are urgently required."