Cultural connections reduce suicide risk for Indigenous youth

February 3, 2025

Data from Statistics Canada found that Indigenous youth were at higher risk for suicide than their non-Indigenous counterparts; the relative risk was nearly nine times higher for those younger than 15 and slightly more than six times higher for those between 15 and 24. Addressing suicide risk for Indigenous youth is therefore an urgent public health matter. And suicide must be understood within the historical context. The current reality for Indigenous youth stems from the many destructive legacies of colonization. These legacies include the forced removal of generations of children from their families and communities and ongoing exposure to racism and socio-economic disparities.

While the ongoing effects of colonialism must be addressed, one step in lowering suicide rates for Indigenous children and youth is to strengthen cultural connections. These connections include self-governance and settled land claims as well as traditional language teaching and culturally responsive education and health care. So in addition to using effective interventions to prevent suicide, practitioners can support Indigenous youth by encouraging life-affirming cultural connections. For more information, see Vol. 17, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.