ArticlePDF Available

Self-Destructive Behaviors in American Indian and Alaska Native High School Youth

DOI:10.5820/aian.1003.2002.24
Authors:
Michael L Frank at Stockton University
Michael L Frank
David Lester at Stockton University
David Lester
Download full-text PDFDownload full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract

Analysis of responses of 10,251 high school students surveyed in the 1997 National School-Based Youth Risk Survey indicated that American Indian and Alaska Native youths engaged more often in risky behaviors than White or Black youths. The pattern of involvement in risky behavior was different for youths from the three ethnic groups.
1952.p
df
Content uploaded by David Lester
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by David Lester on Jul 27, 2018
Content may be subject to copyright.
10(3)_2_Frank_Self-destructive_behavio
rs.pdf
Content uploaded by Michael L Frank
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Michael L Frank
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Although much is known about the alcohol consumption patterns of Native American youth, there is almost no information on the structure and nature of one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of alcohol use and abuse during adolescence: the adolescent friendship network. This missing element is in part due to the use of specialized data sets consisting of very small-scale studies of individual reservations, which tend to create overly homogeneous reservation-school samples, making any comparisons with other groups impossible (Pridemore 2004(Pridemore , 2005Szlemko et al. 2006;see too Fisher et al. 1998;Frank and Lester 2002;Grossman et al. 1991). A few extant studies allow for cross-ethnic group comparisons between American Indians and other youth at the community (Yabiku et al. 2007) and state-level (HeavyRunner-Rioux and Hollist 2010; Morris and Wood 2010). ...
... This is done by developing quality relationships, neighborhood and school selection, and proactive parental supervision (Knoester et al. 2006). As nearly all children age, they experience increased levels of conflict with their parents, and American Indian children are no exception to this generalization (Frank and Lester 2002). That Native American youth are introduced to alcohol at an earlier age than Caucasians has also been reported in previous studies, onset which is often facilitated by family members rather than peers or non-related adults (Szlemko et al. 2006;Waller et al. 2003). ...
... Earlier problem onset can lead to later problem and binge drinking (Henry et al. 2011). In mid-adolescence, especially when the alcohol consumption begins to create problems between the youth and general society, school, friends, and parents, childparent conflicts over alcohol may emerge, especially as the parents start to realize that such patterns pose long-term negative consequences for their children (Frank and Lester 2002;HeavyRunner and Rioux 2010). These conflicts with parents have been used in a variety of explanations to provide a reason for why many youth join the most problematic peer groupthe gang. ...
The Native American Adolescent: Social Network Structure and Perceptions of Alcohol Induced Social Problems
Article
Full-text available
Race/ethnicity and the structure of an adolescent's social network are both important factors in the etiology of delinquent behavior. Yet, much of the minority-group delinquency literature overlooks the Native American youth population that traditionally exhibits high rates of alcohol use and abuse. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we compare the structural characteristics of school-based friendship networks of American Indian youth and other racial/ethnic groups. Our core sample for the descriptive analysis consists of 70,841 youth (Caucasian = 42,096; Black = 13,554; Asian = 4,758; Hispanic = 4,464; American Indian = 3,426; Other = 2,543; Female = 50 %). We find that Native American youth generally occupy similar social positions within school hierarchies compared to other minority groups. However, American Indian youth have fewer ties at the school level than Caucasian youth, including reports of fewer reciprocated friendships, a smaller number of in-school friends, and membership in less cohesive personal networks. We also focus on the detrimental social and physical consequences of alcohol use during adolescence and offer an extended consequences model (n = 5,841) that includes the interactive effects of race/ethnicity, age, and drinking influences on relationships with friends (Caucasian = 59 %; Black = 19 %; Asian = 7 %; Hispanic = 7 %; American Indian = 5 %; Other = 3 %; Female = 54 %). American Indian youth are no more likely than other youth to report personal drinking as being detrimental to social relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners. We address ties between our findings and criminal justice policies and practices, as well as the implications for similar network analyses involving other racial/ethnic groups.
View
... Elevated rates of high-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse and emotional distress, have been reported for AI/AN adolescents, which likely contributed to their higher rates of unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide, all of which were leading causes of AI/AN pediatric death. 31,38 In states with reservations, an estimated 65% of motor vehicle---related deaths, 75% of suicides, and 80% of homicides among AI/ANs involved alcohol. 39 Although the AI/AN population is often studied as a whole, significant geographic variations exist in the patterns and burden of disease. ...
... 56 A national survey of AI/AN youth behavior from 1997 found that 32% of females and 22% of males reported a history of at least 1 suicide attempt. 38 Previous reports showed that firearms and hanging were the most common methods for suicide in AI/AN youths. 57 Risk factors identified for suicide in the AI/AN pediatric population include mental health disease, substance use, and violence perpetration. ...
American Indian and Alaska Native Infant and Pediatric Mortality, United States, 1999–2009
Article
Full-text available
Objectives: We described American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) infant and pediatric death rates and leading causes of death. Methods: We adjusted National Vital Statistics System mortality data for AI/AN racial misclassification by linkage with Indian Health Service (IHS) registration records. We determined average annual death rates and leading causes of death for 1999 to 2009 for AI/AN versus White infants and children. We limited the analysis to IHS Contract Health Service Delivery Area counties. Results: The AI/AN infant death rate was 914 (rate ratio [RR] = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.55, 1.67). Sudden infant death syndrome, unintentional injuries, and influenza or pneumonia were more common in AI/AN versus White infants. The overall AI/AN pediatric death rates were 69.6 for ages 1 to 4 years (RR = 2.56; 95% CI = 2.38, 2.75), 28.9 for ages 5 to 9 years (RR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.92, 2.34), 37.3 for ages 10 to 14 years (RR = 2.22; 95% CI = 2.04, 2.40), and 158.4 for ages 15 to 19 years (RR = 2.71; 95% CI = 2.60, 2.82). Unintentional injuries and suicide occurred at higher rates among AI/AN youths versus White youths. Conclusions: Death rates for AI/AN infants and children were higher than for Whites, with regional disparities. Several leading causes of death in the AI/AN pediatric population are potentially preventable.
View
... of 11.6. 2 An estimated 14% to 27% of non-Hispanic AI/AN adolescents have attempted suicide. 7 Suicide rates also vary among AI/AN tribes. 8 While some evidence shows that suicide rates vary widely among tribes, 8 data are lacking for all tribes and for urban (nonreservation) areas. ...
Preventing Suicidal Behavior Among American Indian and Alaska Native Adolescents and Young Adults
Article
  • Jul 2022
From 2009 to 2018, overall suicide rates in the United States increased by 20.3% and increased by 43.5% among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Combining years 2009 through 2018, suicide rates per 100 000 population among non-Hispanic AI/AN adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 34 years were 2 to 4 times higher than those of adolescents and young adults of other races and ethnicities. An estimated 14% to 27% of non-Hispanic AI/AN adolescents attempted suicide during that time. The elevated rates of suicidal behavior among non-Hispanic AI/AN adolescents and young adults reflect inequities in the conditions that create health. In this topical review, we describe school-based educational efforts that are driven by local AI/AN communities, such as the American Indian Life Skills curriculum, that teach stress and coping skills and show promise in reducing suicidal ideation attempts and fatalities among AI/AN adolescents. Using a social-determinants-of-health lens, we review the availability and quality of employment as an important influencer of suicidal behavior, as well as the role of the workplace as an environment for suicide prevention in AI/AN communities. Working with tribal, state, local, and federal colleagues, the public health community can implement programs known to be effective and create additional comprehensive strategies to reduce inequities and ultimately reduce suicide rates.
View
... NA youth currently face disparate proportions of substance use and alarmingly high rates of suicide in tribal communities. According to a 2015 National Youth Risk Survey (CDC, 2017), AIAN youth engaged in risky behaviors (e.g., drug use, risky sexual behavior, suicide attempts, criminal activity, violence and gang activity, truancy, behaviors related to unintentional injuries) at a much higher rate overall when compared with either White or Black youth (Baldwin et al., 2011;CDC, 2016;Frank & Lester, 2002). In a comprehensive assessment of prevalence rates, the CDC (2008b) reported that "alcohol-attributable deaths accounted for 4 times as many deaths among American Indian/Alaskan Natives as in the U.S. general population (11.7 vs. 3.3 %, respectively)" (para. ...
View
... The mental health of youth is one of the most urgent concerns affecting many First Nations 1 (FN) communities across Canada (First Nations Information Governance Centre, 2012). FN youth overall continue to experience an increased risk of mental health problems compared to their non-FN counterparts including conduct disorder (Frank & Lester, 2002), substance use (Whitbeck, Yu, Johnson, Hoyt, & Walls, 2008), and suicide (Chandler & LaLonde, 1998;Kirmayer, 1994). These disproportionate risks have arisen within the context of an extensive history of harmful treatment of FN peoples borne of political policies aimed at the oppression, marginalization, and destruction of FN cultures (Kirmayer, Gone, & Moses, 2014). ...
Cultural Connectedness and Its Relation to Mental Wellness for First Nations Youth
Article
Full-text available
We explored the interrelationships among components of cultural connectedness (i.e., identity, traditions, and spirituality) and First Nations youth mental health using a brief version of the original Cultural Connectedness Scale. Participants included 290 First Nations youth (M age = 14.4) who were recruited from both urban and rural school settings in Saskatchewan and Southwestern Ontario. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis of the Cultural Connectedness Scale-Short Version (CCS-S) items to investigate the factor stability of the construct in our sample. We examined the relationships between the CCS-S subscales and self-efficacy, sense of self (present and future), school connectedness, and life satisfaction using hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses to establish the validity of the abbreviated measure. The results revealed that cultural connectedness, as measured by the 10-item CCS-S, had strong associations with the mental health indicators assessed and, in some cases, was associated with First Nations youth mental health above and beyond other social determinants of health. Our results extend findings from previous research on cultural connectedness by elucidating the meaning of its components and demonstrate the importance of culture for positive youth development.
View
... Official data suggest that American Indians have among the highest crime and delinquency rates of all ethnic groups in the United States (Armstrong, Guilfoyle, & Melton, 1996;Greenfeld & Smith, 1999;Peak & Spencer, 1987;Pridemore, 2004) and that these rates are high despite mass underreporting (Wakeling et al., 2001). Self-report findings also suggest that delinquency is elevated for American Indian youth (Andrews, 1999;Forslund & Cranston, 1975;Frank & Lester, 2002). Nonetheless, this overrepresentation is largely the product of alcohol-and substance-related offenses (Armstrong et al., 1996;Silverman, 1996). ...
Delinquency and Non-Reservation American Indians: The Role of Unique and General Predictors of Interpersonal and Property Offending
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2010
Using a sample of 382 American Indian public high school students, we compare unique (Native traditionalism) and general (parental control and self-control) influences on interpersonal and property delinquency. Results indicate that these 3 predictors more or less independently predict each form of delinquency, suggesting that non-reservation American Indian delinquency is the product of both unique and general influences. Contrary to expectations and most research on reservation delinquency, greater identification with Native traditions is associated with heightened delinquency among our non-reservation respondents. Theoretical and policy implication are discussed relative to the lack of empirical research on non-reservation American Indians as well as the lack of etiological research on the sources of non-substance use delinquency among American Indians, reservation or otherwise.
View
... American Indians exhibit higher rates of preventable health-risk behavior than any other ethnic group in the United States (Frank and Lester 2002), with tobacco, alcohol, diet, and accidents all linked to their excessive mortality, whether on or off Native lands (Grossman et al. 1994;Lewin 2004). In spite of sufficient notoriety, the causes of such behavior remain largely unexplored (Lester 1999). ...
Traditionalism or Low Self‐Control?: Explaining the Health‐Risk Behaviors of American Indian Youth
Article
Full-text available
Using a sample of American Indian high school students, we test self-control and Native traditionalism as predictors of their health-risk behaviors. Regression analyses found self-control to be a significant influence on all seven health-risk items as well as the health-risk composite. Traditionalism by and large fails to influence these behaviors. However, the traditionalism measure serves a second purpose as a means of controlling for cultural variation while testing the influence of self-control. In doing so, self-control remains a robust predictor. By controlling for cultural variation and examining behaviors that transcend cultural definitions of deviance, we believe these results support the cultural invariance thesis of self-control. Implications for refining traditionalism, testing the cultural invariance of self-control, and considering new directions in understanding the health risks among American Indians are discussed.
View
... In Aboriginal adolescents, it is at least five times more likely than in other Canadian youth (Kirmayer et al., 2007). Within this younger age range, other indicators of poor mental well-being including SI, SA, substance use, and depressive symptomatology are also disproportionately prevalent in indigenous youth than in other adolescents (Frank & Lester, 2002;Gessner, 1997;Harris, Gordon-Larsen, Chantala, & Udry, 2006;Rutman, Park, Castor, Taualii, & Forquera, 2008;Saluja et al., 2004;Spear, Longshore, McCaffrey, & Ellickson, 2005;Whitbeck, Yu, Johnson, Hoyt, & Walls, 2008). Individuals of this age range and ethnic group combined, then, are likely a vulnerable population for greater all-around psychological distress. ...
Correlates of Suicidality: Investigation of a Representative Sample of Manitoba First Nations Adolescents
Article
Full-text available
We examined individual, friend or family, and community or tribe correlates of suicidality in a representative on-reserve sample of First Nations adolescents. Data came from the 2002-2003 Manitoba First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey of Youth. Interviews were conducted with adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (n=1125) from 23 First Nations communities in Manitoba. We used bivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationships between a range of factors and lifetime suicidality. We conducted sex-by-correlate interactions for each significant correlate at the bivariate level. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified those correlates most strongly related to suicidality. We found several variables to be associated with an increased likelihood of suicidality in the multivariate model, including being female, depressed mood, abuse or fear of abuse, a hospital stay, and substance use (adjusted odds ratio range=2.43-11.73). Perceived community caring was protective against suicidality (adjusted odds ratio=0.93; 95% confidence interval=0.88, 0.97) in the same model. Results of this study may be important in informing First Nations and government policy related to the implementation of suicide prevention strategies in First Nations communities.
View
Determinants of Health Among Two-Spirit American Indians and Alaska Natives
Chapter
  • Jan 2007
In comparison to other racial/ethnic groups, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs or “Natives”) suffer from glaring disparities in health-related resources and outcomes. Specifically, morbidity due to violence and substance use is higher and overall mortality is greater [IHS]. AIANs who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) or with the modern roughly equivalent Native term “two-spirit” (hereafter collectively referred to as “twospirits”) face additional stressors associated with negotiating their dual oppressed statuses. They often confront heterosexism from Natives and racism from GLBTs. Not surprisingly, two-spirits are thought to be at even greater risk for adverse health outcomes than other Natives (Walters, 1997; Walters et al., 2001). Preliminary empirical evidence supports the notion that two-spirits experience disproportionately greater anti-gay as well as anti-Native violence, including sexual and physical assault during childhood and adulthood (Walters et al., 2001; Simoni et al., 2004a) and historical trauma (Balsam et al., 2004)-experiences that are typically linked to adverse health and psychosocial functioning. Despite the considerable heterogeneity both within and across the more than 562 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the universal experience of colonization has created a shared history for two-spirit people, shaping distinctive conditions of health risk and resilience.
View
Culture and Context: Buffering the Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Risky Behaviors in American Indian Youth
Article
Full-text available
The Sacred Mountain Youth Project was conducted to investigate risk and protective factors related to alcohol and drug use among American Indian youth. Findings indicated that stressful life events were positively associated with depressed mood, substance use, and risky behavior; cultural identity had no direct effects, but a secondary model showed that social support and protective family and peer influences were related to cultural identity. These findings suggest that the relationships between stressors and their negative sequelae are complex. Emphasis on protective processes that are culturally specific to American Indian youth may lead to effective alcohol and drug use prevention programs.
View
Chronic Self-Destructiveness and Locus of Control in Cross-Cultural Perspective
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 1986
Chronic self-destructiveness and external locus of control were significantly correlated in student samples in Hong Kong, India, and the United States. Responses to the Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale (Kelly et al., 1985) evinced high levels of internal reliability in these samples. The data from Venezuela were the only exception to this pattern of results. The results demonstrate some generalizability of the Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale across three diverse cultural boundaries.
View
Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: Health-Related Behavior or Normative Transgression?
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2000
Relations among measures of adolescent behavior were examined to determine whether cigarette smoking fits into a structure of problem behaviors—behaviors that involve normative transgression—or a structure of health-related behaviors, or both. In an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 1782 male and female high school adolescents, four first-order problem behavior latent variables—sexual intercourse experience, alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and delinquency—were established and together were shown to reflect a second-order latent variable of problem behavior. Four first-order latent variables of health-related behaviors—unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary behavior, unsafe behavior, and poor dental hygiene—were also established and together were shown to reflect a second-order latent variable of health-compromising behavior. The structure of relations among those latent variables was modeled. Cigarette smoking had a significant and substantial loading only on the problem-behavior latent variable; its loading on the health-compromising behavior latent variable was essentially zero. Adolescent cigarette smoking relates strongly and directly to problem behaviors and only indirectly, if at all, to health-compromising behaviors. Interventions to prevent or reduce adolescent smoking should attend more to factors that influence problem behaviors.
View
Risk-Factors for Suicide Attempts Among Navajo Adolescents
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 1991
Rates of adolescent suicide in the United States are highest among Native Americans but little is known about risk factors for suicide attempts in this population. To identify risk factors for self-reported suicide attempts by Navajo adolescents, we analyzed the 1988 Indian Health Service Adolescent Health Survey that was administered to 7,254 students in grades 6 through 12 on the Navajo reservation. The responses of students reporting a past suicide attempt were compared to others. Nearly 15 percent (N = 971) reported a previous suicide attempt; over half of those admitted to more than one attempt. Controlling for age, a logistic regression model revealed the following associations with suicide attempts: a history of mental health problems (OR = 3.2); alienation from family and community (OR = 3.2); having a friend who attempted suicide (OR = 2.8); weekly consumption of hard liquor (OR = 2.7); a family history of a suicide or attempt (OR = 2.3); poor self-perception of health (OR = 2.2); a history of physical abuse (OR = 1.9); female gender (OR = 1.7); and sexual abuse (OR = 1.5). Efforts to prevent adolescent suicide attempts in this population should target individuals with those risk factors of the highest risk and prevalence of exposure.
View
View
Chronic Self-Destructiveness: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Initial Validation of the Construct
Article
  • Jun 1985
Individual differences in various behaviors suggest that those who are primarily motivated by current emotional factors are more likely than those motivated by more distant cognitive considerations to engage in acts that are ultimately self-destructive. To assess and explore these behavioral differences, 12 samples of undergraduate subjects, totaling 864 (527 females, 337 males), a group of 15 businesswomen, and 111 male VA patients were used to develop a measure of this construct in a series of reliability and construct validity studies. By means of internal-consistency item analyses, two cross-validated 52-item measures of chronic self-destructiveness were constructed for males and females. Reliability was established with respect to internal consistency (alpha coefficients range from .73 to .97) and temporal consistency over a 1-month period (test-retest correlations range from .90 to .98). There is a slight drop in chronic self-destructiveness scores across age groups. Test scores were found to be positively related to external locus of control, negatively related to Type A coronary-prone behavior, and unrelated to either social desirability response set or need for achievement. Individuals high in chronic self-destructiveness, compared to those with low scores, are more likely to be in treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, to report having cheated in courses, to have had traffic violations, to report having gone through a rebellious stage in adolescence, and to postpone obtaining a medical test for cancer. Chronic self-destructiveness appears to be a personality dimension that affects behavior across a wide range of ages and situations.
View
Suicidal behavior in young adolescents
Article
A two-stage epidemiologic study investigated the frequency of suicidal behavior in children 12-14 years of age. In the first stage, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, a three-item suicide scale, a life-event schedule, and a family environment scale were administered during 1986 to a southeastern US community sample of 1,542 seventh and eighth grade students. In the second stage, 226 mother-child pairs were interviewed utilizing the Schedule for Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders in School Age Children (K-SADS). Subjects interviewed included students with high depression scores and a random sample of the remaining students. Prevalence estimates for moderate to severe suicidal ideation (K-SADS score greater than or equal to 4) were 4.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-16.4%) in males and 8.7% (95% CI 2.4-23.3%) in females. The prevalences of suicide attempts were 1.9% (95% CI 0.0-13.2%) in males and 1.5% (95% CI 0.6-12.7%) in females. Significant relations were found between major depression and both suicide ideation (odds ratio = 6.19, 95% CI 1.53-24.94) and suicide attempts (odds ratio = 9.80, 95% CI 1.89-50.86). The undesirable life-events score was also a significant predictor of suicide ideation and suicide attempts.
View
View
Risk-taking behaviour of Cape Peninsula high-school students. Part V. Drug use
Article
  • Aug 1993
The prevalence of a wide range of risk-taking behaviour among high-school students in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, was investigated. In this article, the results for drug use are presented. Cluster sampling techniques produced a sample of 7,340 students from 16 schools in the three major education departments. A self-administered questionnaire was completed in a normal school period. Estimates for each education department were weighted to produce an overall estimate. Cannabis was the illicit drug most widely used; 7.5% had smoked cannabis, and 2.4% had done so in the previous 7 days. A small subgroup (1.6%) of students had smoked cannabis and methaqualone (Mandrax) together. Reported lifetime use of injectable drugs was 0.5%, and 10.9% had sniffed solvents, 2.6% having done so in the previous 7 days. There were different trends according to gender, standard, and language(s) spoken at home. Of particular note was the small proportion of Xhosa-speaking females who were involved with drug use. The results suggest that the majority of drug use among school students is experimental. A small number of adolescents abuse drugs and are at risk for its associated problems; intervention is indicated for this group.
View
Risk-taking behaviour of Cape Peninsula high-school students. Part III. Cigarette smoking
Article
  • Aug 1993
The prevalence of a wide range of risk-taking behaviour among high-school students in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, was investigated. In this article, the results for cigarette smoking are presented. Cluster sampling techniques produced a sample of 7,340 students from 16 schools in the three major education departments. A self-administered questionnaire was completed in a normal school period. Estimates for each education department were weighted to produce an overall estimate. Of the students 18.1% indicated that they smoked at least 1 cigarette per day. Of these, 66.9% had tried to stop. Of those who did not smoke at least 1 cigarette per day, 41.2% had smoked previously and 3.6% intended to start smoking. There were different trends according to gender, standard, and language(s) spoken at home. Of note was the small percentage of Xhosa-speaking females who smoked. There is an urgent need for smoking prevention programmes in schools.
View
The Relationship of Drug Use to Suicide Ideation and Attempts Among African American, Hispanic, and White Non-Hispanic Male Adolescents
Article
  • Feb 1993
This study presents self-report cross-sectional and longitudinal data on associations between drug use, suicide ideation, and attempts in a multiethnic sample of seventh- and eighth-grade male adolescents attending school in the greater Miami, Florida, area. African Americans had the highest prevalence of 6-month ideation (20.5%), and Haitians had the highest attempts (11.4%). For the total sample, tranquilizers had the highest odds ratio for ideation (3.4), and PCP for attempts (6.2). Psychoactive drug-use was consistently related to attempts among Hispanics, white non-Hispanics, and African Americans. Acculturation strains interacted with cocaine and crack to predict suicide attempts among Hispanic respondents.
View