NCJ Number
227949
Journal
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: 1995 Pages: 46-55
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study identified which States had higher rates of suicide and homicide for American Indians compared to Whites and examined whether these rates were linked to indexes of social integration.
Abstract
For the full sample of 48 continental States, homicide rates for Whites and American Indians were similar. White and American Indian homicide rates shared an association with indexes of social instability. Statewide American-Indian suicide rates, on the other hand, showed a different pattern of associations compared to White statewide suicide rates. Whereas White suicide rates were associated with a cluster of variables that measured social instability, American-Indian suicide rates were associated with a cluster of social variables that included measures of wealth and urbanization. American-Indian suicide rates were higher in the poorer, less urban States, probably as a result of the large reservations in those States and higher suicide rates among American Indians living on reservations. These findings suggest that alternative theories may be required in accounting for rates of personal violence among American Indians. For American Indians, there are indications that acculturation plays a larger role in predicting suicide rates than does social integration. Future research should examine the predictive social variables linked to suicide and homicide rates of American Indians living on and off reservations. It would also be useful to determine whether certain social indicators specific to American Indians are better predictors of suicide and homicide rates. The data used were for the year 1980 for the 48 continuous, continental States. All data were obtained from the Statistical Abstract of the United States and the Census of the Population, 1980. Suicide and homicide rates were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. Data on the American Indian population were obtained from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The social variables measured are listed. 4 tables and 14 references