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. 2005 Jul;95(7):1238-44.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.040410. Epub 2005 Jun 2.

Outcome evaluation of a public health approach to suicide prevention in an american Indian tribal nation

Philip A May  1 , Patricia Serna, Lance Hurt, Lemyra M Debruyn
Affiliations

Outcome evaluation of a public health approach to suicide prevention in an american Indian tribal nation

Philip A May et al. Am J Public Health. 2005 Jul.

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the efficacy of 15 years of a public health-oriented suicidal-behavior prevention program among youths living on an American Indian reservation.

Methods: All suicides, suicide attempts, and suicidal gestures were monitored. Age-specific analyses over time were used to assess outcomes.

Results: Both descriptive and linear regression analyses indicated that a substantial drop occurred in suicidal gestures and attempts. Suicide deaths neither declined significantly nor increased, although the total number of self-destructive acts declined by 73% (P=.001).

Conclusions: Data from this community-based approach document a remarkable downward trend-measured by both magnitude and temporal trends in the specifically targeted age cohorts-in suicidal acts. The sequential decrease in age-specific rates of suicide attempts and gestures is indicative of the program's success.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Suicide gestures, attempts, and completions among members of the Western Athabaskan Tribal Nation.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Age-specific total suicide gestures and suicide attempts among members of the Western Athabaskan Tribal Nation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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