A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) will plan and host a 2-day public workshop to explore the current scope of activities, gaps, challenges, and opportunities to prevent death by suicide in Indigenous communities. Small group discussions will focus on unique considerations in subgroups to include children and youth, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and elderly adults.
The workshop will feature invited presentations and moderated discussions on topics that may include but are not limited to:
Data systems to track suicide rates in Indigenous communities, including data at the federal, local, state, regional, and tribal levels. Gaps/challenges and limitations of the current data systems, as well as opportunities to improve access and the quality of data will also be explored.
Racial and ethnic differences in suicide rates.
Reasons for higher suicide rates in Indigenous populations, such as the role of social determinants of health, historical trauma, adverse childhood experiences, substance use, and complex grief, as well as factors that are unique to specific subgroups including children and youth, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and elderly adults.
Protective factors in Indigenous communities, such as the connectedness to tribal traditions, and factors that are unique to specific subgroups including children and youth, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and elderly adults.
Effective suicide prevention policies and programs in Indigenous and tribal communities. The current status, lessons learned, evidence-based practices, best practices, emerging models, and prevention strategies will be discussed.
Culturally sensitive approaches to identifying, managing, and preventing suicide clusters.
Challenges/gaps and opportunities to provide culturally appropriate, upstream interventions to prevent suicide.
Challenges/gaps and opportunities in providing the continuum of substance use and mental health services for Indigenous individuals in varied settings. These settings may include primary care, emergency department, specialty care, school-based care, and telehealth.
Suicide prevention issues unique to Indigenous children and youth.
Potential actions to strengthen policies and programs to support suicide prevention efforts for Indigenous communities.
The planning committee will develop the agenda for the workshop sessions, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.