Correlates of suicide ideation for indigenous peoples in Canada: findings from the aboriginal peoples survey

Abstract

It has been estimated that Indigenous people of all ages are more than twice as likely than those in the general population to commit suicide and these rates only seem to be steadily rising. There are numerous theories within the literature that seek to explain why this striking disparity exists, such as intergenerational trauma as a result of the residential school system, loss of culture and language, and problems maintaining social support within urban settings. The examination of data collected by Statistics Canada’s 2012 Aboriginal People’s Surveys (APS) was performed to determine the correlates that appear to be associated with the disproportionate rates of suicides experienced by the Indigenous population of Canada. The prevalence rate of Indigenous peoples that contemplated suicide within the last 12 months was found to be 3.5%, and the lifetime prevalence rate was found to be 13.7%. Evidence from the study was inconclusive in terms of establishing if suicide ideation was positively or negatively associated with the correlates examined. Interestingly, findings do suggest that those that have a history of residential school experience in the family appears to be positively correlated with increased knowledge and interest in Aboriginal languages and traditional activities.