Apr 16, 2007 - 04:10:36 CDT
ROSEBUD, S.D. (AP) - Leaders on the Rosebud Indian Reservation are worried about a recent spike in suicides and attempts.Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement officers responded to three deaths by suicide and 197 attempts in 2006. Through March of this year, police had been called to three suicides and 51 attempts.
Whether the rise is part of a cyclical pattern or the start of something worse, Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Rodney Bordeaux wants to do something about it immediately.
He's declared a state of emergency with the hope of bringing in more federal funding to boost suicide prevention efforts on the reservation.
"We're hoping to prevent some in the future," Bordeaux said. "You just don't know."
Franklin Cook, a Rapid City consultant on suicide, said what's happening at Rosebud isn't extraordinary in terms of recent history.
"I think it's important to understand that the series of suicides at Rosebud represent a phenomenon that has been occurring in recent years in this region in a number of communities," said Cook, who works with suicide prevention at the local, state and national level. "It is also important to understand that for all people in South Dakota - Native and white alike - suicide rates among teenagers and young adults are disproportionately high and alarming."
South Dakota ranked 13th in the nation in 2004 in suicides per capita with 14.5 suicides for every 100,000 people, according to the American Association of Suicidology.
Alaska ranks first with 23.6 deaths per 100,000 people. Eight of the top 10 states on the list - including Colorado, Wyoming and Montana - are western mountain states.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The American Association of Suicidology reported a suicide rate of 13 per 100,000 in that age group in 2004.
Indian and Alaskan Natives have the highest suicide rate among that age group. The American Psychological Association cites a 2000 report by the Indian Health Service showing a suicide rate among Indian youth of 33.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
Studies show that suicide is often linked to untreated mental health issues, violence and alcohol and drug abuse. Other risk factors can include family instability or conflict, recent severe stressors such as an unplanned pregnancy and exposure to the suicidal behavior of others.
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