Outcome evaluation of a public health approach to suicide prevention in an american Indian tribal nation.
OBJECTIVE
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.
May
Philip A
PA
Department of Sociology, University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale Blvd, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA. pmay@unm.edu
Serna
Patricia
P
Hurt
Lance
L
Debruyn
Lemyra M
LM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009516:New Mexico; D011634:Public Health; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention