Lifetime Suicidal Thoughts Among First Nations Living Off Reserve, Métis and Inuit Aged 26 to 59 : Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012

In a study of risk factors for suicidal thoughts in 17 countries, the presence of mood and anxiety disorders increased the odds of suicidal thoughts around three‑fold (Nock et al. [...] Mood and/or anxiety disorders, drug use and lack of self-worth were associated with suicidal thoughts The prevalence of suicidal thoughts was higher among off‑reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit adults who reported mood and/or anxiety disorders, compared with those who did not (Table 1). [...] The higher prevalence of some of the risk factors such as mood disorders in off‑reserve First Nations and Métis compared to the non‑ Aboriginal population (Gionet and Roshanafshar 2013) may suggest a greater importance of this risk factor for suicidal thoughts among these Aboriginal populations. [...] The former was used for the analysis of suicidal thoughts among off‑reserve First Nations, Métis and Inuit; the latter was used to compare the APS estimates with those for the non‑Aboriginal population. [...] The survey excluded residents of Indian reserves and settlements and certain First Nations communities in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.