Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada
Abstract Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionate rates of suicide compared to non-Indigenous populations. Indigenous communities and organizations have designed local and regional approaches to prevention, and the federal government has developed a national suicide prevention framew...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6224-9 |
| _version_ | 1818131440043294720 |
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| author | Nathaniel J. Pollock Gwen K. Healey Michael Jong James E. Valcour Shree Mulay |
| author_facet | Nathaniel J. Pollock Gwen K. Healey Michael Jong James E. Valcour Shree Mulay |
| author_sort | Nathaniel J. Pollock |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionate rates of suicide compared to non-Indigenous populations. Indigenous communities and organizations have designed local and regional approaches to prevention, and the federal government has developed a national suicide prevention framework. However, public health systems continue to face challenges in monitoring the population burden of suicide and suicidal behaviour. National health data systems lack Indigenous identifiers, do not capture data from some regions, and do not routinely engage Indigenous communities in data governance. These challenges hamper efforts to detect changes in population-level outcomes and assess the impact of suicide prevention activities. Consequently, this limits the ability to achieve public health prevention goals and reduce suicide rates and rate inequities. This paper provides a critical analysis of the challenges related to suicide surveillance in Canada and assesses the strengths and limitations of existing data infrastructure for monitoring outcomes in Indigenous communities. To better understand these challenges, we discuss the policy context for suicide surveillance and examine the survey and administrative data sources that are commonly used in public health surveillance. We then review recent data on the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behaviour among Indigenous populations, and identify challenges related to national surveillance. To enhance capacity for suicide surveillance, we propose strategies to better track progress in Indigenous suicide prevention. Specifically, we recommend establishing an independent community and scientific governing council, integrating Indigenous identifiers into population health datasets, increasing geographic coverage, improving suicide data quality, comprehensiveness, and timeliness, and developing a platform for making suicide data accessible to all stakeholders. Overall, the strategies we propose can build on the strengths of the existing national suicide surveillance system by adopting a collaborative and inclusive governance model that recognizes the stake Indigenous communities have in suicide prevention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:20:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1fcb7e3d79054f03a7663f17fc4ea3aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:20:58Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-1fcb7e3d79054f03a7663f17fc4ea3aa2022-12-22T01:14:40ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582018-11-0118111710.1186/s12889-018-6224-9Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in CanadaNathaniel J. Pollock0Gwen K. Healey1Michael Jong2James E. Valcour3Shree Mulay4Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial UniversityQaujigiartiit Health Research CentreLabrador-Grenfell Regional Health Authority, Labrador Health CentreDivision of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial UniversityDivision of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial UniversityAbstract Indigenous peoples in Canada experience disproportionate rates of suicide compared to non-Indigenous populations. Indigenous communities and organizations have designed local and regional approaches to prevention, and the federal government has developed a national suicide prevention framework. However, public health systems continue to face challenges in monitoring the population burden of suicide and suicidal behaviour. National health data systems lack Indigenous identifiers, do not capture data from some regions, and do not routinely engage Indigenous communities in data governance. These challenges hamper efforts to detect changes in population-level outcomes and assess the impact of suicide prevention activities. Consequently, this limits the ability to achieve public health prevention goals and reduce suicide rates and rate inequities. This paper provides a critical analysis of the challenges related to suicide surveillance in Canada and assesses the strengths and limitations of existing data infrastructure for monitoring outcomes in Indigenous communities. To better understand these challenges, we discuss the policy context for suicide surveillance and examine the survey and administrative data sources that are commonly used in public health surveillance. We then review recent data on the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behaviour among Indigenous populations, and identify challenges related to national surveillance. To enhance capacity for suicide surveillance, we propose strategies to better track progress in Indigenous suicide prevention. Specifically, we recommend establishing an independent community and scientific governing council, integrating Indigenous identifiers into population health datasets, increasing geographic coverage, improving suicide data quality, comprehensiveness, and timeliness, and developing a platform for making suicide data accessible to all stakeholders. Overall, the strategies we propose can build on the strengths of the existing national suicide surveillance system by adopting a collaborative and inclusive governance model that recognizes the stake Indigenous communities have in suicide prevention.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6224-9Suicide preventionSelf-harmEpidemiologyIndigenousInuitFirst Nations |
| spellingShingle | Nathaniel J. Pollock Gwen K. Healey Michael Jong James E. Valcour Shree Mulay Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada BMC Public Health Suicide prevention Self-harm Epidemiology Indigenous Inuit First Nations |
| title | Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada |
| title_full | Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada |
| title_short | Tracking progress in suicide prevention in Indigenous communities: a challenge for public health surveillance in Canada |
| title_sort | tracking progress in suicide prevention in indigenous communities a challenge for public health surveillance in canada |
| topic | Suicide prevention Self-harm Epidemiology Indigenous Inuit First Nations |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-018-6224-9 |
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