Grief and loss among Eskimos attempting suicide in western Alaska

Abstract

Data were collected prospectively from psychiatric evaluations performed on 53 consecutive Eskimos in the Bering Strait region who attempted suicide. Depressive diagnoses were common (N = 49). Thirty-seven (70%) of the attempts were preceded by a recent interpersonal loss. Sixty percent of the patients had lost a parent during childhood. Poor affective relatedness, especially around issues of loss, was noted in most of the patients. Thus, both multiple losses and limited grieving mechanisms may be important risk factors for attempted suicide in this population.