Unikkaartuit: Meanings and Experiences of Suicide Among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada

Abstract

Inuit in Arctic Canada have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Most of these suicides occur among youth, especially males, between the ages of 15 and 24. The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of Inuit experiences with suicide and what suicide means to Inuit, including suicide attempters and bereaved survivors. Fifty Inuit between the ages of 14 and 94 were interviewed about suicides in two communities in Nunavut. Sixty-three high school and college students were also surveyed with the same questions. It was found that suicide was most closely related to romantic relationship and family problems, and to experiences of loneliness and anger. These findings are interpreted in the context of massive social change, on-going colonization, and multigenerational trauma following the colonial government era of the 1950s and 1960s, when family and interpersonal relationships were significantly affected. The study stresses that suicide prevention strategies focus on youth and family, particularly on parenting, and ensure that Inuit communities take control of prevention programs. It recommends that family and community resources be further mobilized for suicide prevention.

Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Canada

“…61 Some Inuit communities have put together their own suicide prevention activities and programs, and suicides have declined significantly. 51,57 These are community-driven programs, such as the Youth Centre that was organized by a youth group in Igloolik, Nunavut. Health Canada now has the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, 69 which was developed in partnership with Aboriginal organizations; with this program, communities are funded to develop their own suicide prevention programs.…”

Reflecting on Participatory, Action‐Oriented Research Methods in Community Psychology: Progress, Problems, and Paths Forward

“…Most important was that they be in charge of suicide prevention. Dissemination took place in the communities and in publications (Kral & Idlout, ; Kral, Idlout, Minore, Dyck & Kirmayer, ; Kral, Idlout, Minore, Dyck & Kirmayer, ).…”

“…With family being seen as very important, the steering committee in my community began organizing family activities. And we published a paper (Kral et al., ).…”

Exploring the Intersection of Education and Indigenous Status from a Social Determinants of Health Perspective: Parent and Family Engagement in Secondary School in Nunavik

“…Furthermore, the incarceration rate of Indigenous Peoples is 8.5 times higher than that of non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada (OECD, 2002). The suicide rate is also much higher for Indigenous youth than for any other group of Canadian youth, and Inuit have one of the highest suicide rates in the world (Fraser, Geoffroy, Chachamovich, & Kirmayer, 2015;Kral, Idlout, Minore, Dyck, & Kirmayer, 2014;Morris & Crooks, 2015).…”