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Biological and psychological factors on suicide
Recent studies of suicide in canadian first nations
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Recommended: Biological and psychological factors on suicide
Throughout history Aboriginal people have had to endure many tragedies such as the loss of identity, segregation, and racism which have all largely impacted their emotional and mental health. With this in mind, there is little wonder that aboriginal people have the highest suicide rates within Canada. Approximately four thousand people per year die by suicide within Canada with six to ten per cent of these people being of Aboriginal decent (Bonshor, Jebamani, Muth, & Lew, 2012). While it is devastating that these numbers are so significant, it is even more alarming to learn that the majority of these suicides are predominately Aboriginal youths. In fact, the suicide rate is five to seven times higher within Aboriginal youths over non-Aboriginal youths (Health Canada, 2013). As a psychiatric nurse it is imperative that one becomes educated on why suicide rates are so high within the Aboriginal youth, how suicide negatively impacts the Aboriginal communities, and learns how one can help to develop a suicide prevention plan to reduce the rates of suicide within Aboriginal youths.
Before one considers ways in which one can help to reduce the numbers of suicides within Aboriginal youths it is first important to gain an understanding of why suicide is so prevalent within Aboriginal communities. This student has determined that there are many contributing factors that can negatively affect an Aboriginal youth and in turn, potentially leave an Aboriginal youth feeling as though their choices are limited thus, suicide seems to be the only form of escape. While there are many contributing factors that may lead to an Aboriginal youth to suicide; the factors that stand out the most to this student are: historical, environmental, biological, ...
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... (2013). http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/suicide/index-eng.php
MacNeil, M. S. (2008). An epidemiologic study of Aboriginal adolescent risk in Canada the meaning of suicide. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 21(1): 3-12. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=8&sid=e499b956-9d6b-40c6-bbf5-368ea4ec5401%40sessionmgr4003&hid=4101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2009802866
Sooke Family Resource Society. (2014). www.sfrs.ca
Touhy, T. A., Jett, K. F., Boscart, V., & McCleary, L. (2012). Ebersole and Hess gerontological nursing and healthy aging (1st ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier Canada.
Witter Du Gas, B., Esson, L., & Ronaldson, S. E. (1999). Nursing foundations a Canadian perspective (2nd ed.). Scarborough, ON: Prentice Hall Canada Inc.
World Health Organization. (2014). http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/
Loiselle, C. G., Profetto-McGrath, J., Polit, D. F., Beck C. T., (2007). Canadian essentials of nursing research (2nd ed.) Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Residential schools undoubtedly created detrimental inter-generational consequences. The dark legacy of residential schools has had enduring impact, reaching into each new generation, and has led to countless problems within Aboriginal families including: chemical dependence, a cycle of abuse in families, dysfunctional families, crime and incarceration, depression, grief, suicide, and cultural identity issues (McFarlan, 2000, p. 13). Therefore, the inter-generational consequence...
To begin with, once the policy of assimilation came into effect, Aboriginals were subject to a new environment, resulting in the loss of their culture. It is due to this, that the rates of suicide for First Na...
Definition: Mental health has become a pressing issue in Indigenous communities. Often, a combination of trauma, a lack of accessible health resources, substance abuse, violence, and socioeconomic situations lead to high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in Indigenous Peoples. This crisis is especially apparent in Indigenous youth, where there is a growing suicide epidemic but little mental health support and resources are provided. The increase in stigmatized and untreated mental illness has continued as trauma and systemic injustices remain unaddressed. Indigenous groups, governmental parties, and health organizations are involved.
There are significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Being an Indigenous Australian means the person is and identifies as an Indigenous Australian, acknowledges their Indigenous heritage and is accepted as such in the community they live in (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2010). Compared with Non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people die at much younger ages, have more disability and experience a reduced quality of life because of ill health. This difference in health status is why Indigenous Australians health is often described as “Third World health in a First World nation” (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007, p.xxi). Aboriginal health care in the present and future should encompass a holistic approach which includes social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing in order to be culturally suitable to improve Indigenous Health. There are three dimensions of health- physical, social and mental- that all interrelate to determine an individual’s overall health. If one of these dimensions is compromised, it affects how the other two dimensions function, and overall affects an individual’s health status. The social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which includes education, economics, social gradient, stress, early life, social inclusion, employment, transport, food, and social supports (Gruis, 2014). The social determinants that are specifically negatively impacting on Indigenous Australians health include poverty, social class, racism, education, employment, country/land and housing (Isaacs, 2014). If these social determinants inequalities are remedied, Indigenous Australians will have the same opportunities as Non-Ind...
Newbergh, C. (2005, 11/2005). The Robert Wood Foundation’s Commitment to Nursing. To Improve Health and Health Care, VIII, 1-16.
The needs of Aboriginal youth are not being met in mainstream systems. Undoubtedly, with the high dropout rate of “7 out of 10 first nation youth drop out of school” (Donovan, 128), the school system is failing them. Across Canada only “23 percent of the Aboriginal population has their high school diploma” (Donovan, 129). Aboriginal people make up the youngest and fastest growing segment of our population, and yet many still have significantly less education than the general population.
The authors describe Indigenous perspectives on health and well-being based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s historical and cultural backgrounds. In the Indigenous culture, health comprises not just physical and mental health, but emotional well-being, social and environmental factors as well. Moreover, this holistic approach to health is most associated with their cultural and spiritual dimension. For instance, it is important to maintain their physical and cultural connection to traditional lands as well
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Almost every day we hear about someone attempting or committing suicide. Whether it is on the internet, television, newspaper, or even by word, suicide is a harsh reality that is overlooked and undermined. According to one online article, “Teen Suicide Statistics,”
Racism and social disadvantage being the by-products of Australian colonisation have become reality for Aboriginal people from the early beginnings as well as being prevalent to this day. There exists a complex and strong association between racism and Aboriginal poor health, assisting in the undermining of the emotional and social wellbeing of this Indigenous group. Racism has an adverse and insidious effect upon the psychological and physical health of the Aboriginal people, as it gnaws away on the mental state of the individual, having detrimental consequence upon the standard of acceptable health in today 's modern society. The effects of this discrimination become the catalyst towards the undermining of one 's self esteem which leads to detrimental stress levels, self-negativity and having the potential
Darby, S. Marr, J. Crump, A Scurfield, M (1999) Older People, Nursing & Mental Health. Oxford: Buterworth-Heinemann.
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In Sherman Alexie’s novel Indian Killer, there are many characters who struggle with mental disorders. Alexie states “She was manic-depressive and simply couldn’t take care of herself,” this is just one of the mental illnesses suffered in the book (212). Mental disorders are prevalent in the United States. All races are at risk of mental illness. In the article "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Characteristics Among a Clinical Sample of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youths in a Large California Metropolitan Area: a Descriptive Study" Daniel Dickerson and Carrie Johnson state “AI/ANs [American Indians/ Alaska Native] between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest suicide rates in the United States compared to other racial/ethnic groups” (Dickerson and Johnson, 56). Native Americans are highly perceptible to mental illness due to the historical trauma their culture has endured.
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