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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Allison Barlow, MPH, MA¹, Mariddie Craig², N. Katy Aday, MSW³, Francene Larzelere-Hinton¹, Elena Varipatis Baker, MPH, MSW¹, Kathleen Norton, MA¹, and John Walkup, MD¹. (1) Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins University, 621 North Washington Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-955-6931, abarlow@jhsph.edu, (2) White Mountain Apache Tribe, P.O. Box 700, Whiteriver, AZ 85941, (3) Whiteriver Service Unit, P O Box 860, Whiteriver, AZ 85941

Purpose: Since 1990, White Mountain Apache (WMA) tribal members have experienced rates of suicide among youth (<25 years of age) that have been up to 10 times the U.S. rate and 5 times the Al/AN rate. In 2001, the Tribe passed a resolution requiring mandatory reporting of all suicidal events (ideation, attempts) and completions. In 2004, the Tribe partnered with Johns Hopkins University to employ community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to investigate risk factors, key determinants, treatment preferences and service utilization experiences among suicidal Apache youth (10-19). Methods: The project (9/2005- 8/2009) is unfolding in three stages: I) a six-month formative research phase to enhance existing surveillance data collection methods and to design assessment tools for study of suicidal youth II) a 24-month study of a consecutive series (n=75) of youth who make serious attempts to understand suicide severity, potential risk factors and treatment experiences and preferences. Apache paraprofessionals will be trained to complete all assessments and interviews; and, III) a prevention intervention design phase with community stakeholders employing knowledge learned in Stage I and II. Results: Stage I has yielded data about rates, methods, timing, gender ratios. Community perceptions about risk and protective factors have informed selection of the assessment and interview tools for the study. Conclusions: This study will contribute new knowledge about conducting CPBR in the arena of mental health within AI tribes. Results relating to preventing youth suicidal behavior may be generalizable to other indigenous population contexts throughout the US and the world.

Learning Objectives:

• -Identify methods for engaging community stakeholders in preventing youth suicide in tribal communities
• -Describe methods for determining strategies to prevent youth suicide utilized in the White Mountain Apache reservation
• -Discuss findings from the formative research phase for a youth suicide prevention study among White Mountain Apache

Keywords: Suicide, American Indians

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No