Assessing American Indian Suicide Risk: Can Screening Be Culturally Sensitive?

Authors: National Institute of Justice Staff
Publication Year: 2004
Last Updated: 2016-01-08 15:02:46
Journal: National Institute of Justice
Keywords: suicide risk, American Indian, culture, physical health, mental health, power of culture, suicidal behavior, inmates, Bureau of Justice Statistics, jail, history of suicide, hopelessness, anxiety

Short Abstract:

When detainees are screened during admission for suicide risk, their culture may make a difference in the outcome of the assessment. For any group of people, culture – or way of life - is the prism through which group members see the world and respond to it. Culture shapes people's view of concepts like trust and authority, and can even affect their perceptions of physical and mental health. With the help of researchers, the administrator of a jail in the Northern Plains area of the United States found out the power of culture in identifying suicide risk. The rate of suicidal behavior at this facility was high, and the administrator called in the researchers to try to find the reason.

Abstract:

When detainees are screened during admission for suicide risk, their culture may make a difference in the outcome of the assessment. For any group of people, culture – or way of life - is the prism through which group members see the world and respond to it. Culture shapes people's view of concepts like trust and authority, and can even affect their perceptions of physical and mental health. With the help of researchers, the administrator of a jail in the Northern Plains area of the United States found out the power of culture in identifying suicide risk. The rate of suicidal behavior at this facility was high, and the administrator called in the researchers to try to find the reason.

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