American Indian college student suicide: risk, beliefs, and help-seeking preferences

Abstract

We examined American Indian students’ suicidality, their awareness of tribal beliefs concerning suicide, and the likelihood of them seeking help, if suicidal, from a variety of sources. The rate of suicidal ideation among students in our sample was comparable to the general college student population. Only 10% of sample was aware of traditional tribal suicide beliefs. Respondents who were committed to tribal culture were more likely to prefer counseling from American Indian persons.