Articles
“The rates for PTSD for Native American young people who are exposed to violence exceed the PTSD rates for combat vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. There’s a whole generation of young people who are experiencing just unimaginable violence.”
– Aspen Public Radio, More Native Youth Have PTSD Than Recent Combat Vets.
“AI/ANs more likely have exposure to trauma than members of more economically advantageous groups.”
Indian Country Child Trauma Center, Cultural Issues in Historical Trauma and Implications for Youth at Risk.
“The high prevalence of suicide among Native American young males has achieved widespread recognition and concern, but relatively little research (Olson & Wahab, 2006). Suicide was the third leading cause of death among NAYM, ages 15 to 24, and was the second leading cause of death for Native American males ages 10 – 34 years old (Kochanek, Murphy, Anderson, & Scott, 2004; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2006). The national suicide rate for NAYM is three times higher than same age males of any other racial group (http://www.nopcas.com/stats/). In comparison, the rate for Native American female ages 5‐ are 2.22 to 3.6 times higher than females in the general population.
Adults aged 25‐29 had the highest rate of suicide in the American Indian and Alaska Native population, 20.67 per 100,000, nearly twice the overall US suicide rate. Native American male rates peak at 67 per 100,000 in the 25‐34 age group in general, and Native American males ages 20 years and older are four times more likely to commit suicide. (CDC, 2003). Overall Native American males had suicide rates almost five times higher than Native American females (http://www.nopcas.com/research/).
The figure below shows the national distribution of suicides by Native American youth from the Indian Health Service. The highest rates of youth suicide occurred in the Alaska, Aberdeen and Tucson Areas, with suicide rates six to eight times greater than national rates. The preponderance of Native American suicide rates in the north or the west of the United States is roughly consistent with general distribution of suicides in the United States. ”
– Health and Welfare (Idaho), Suicide in Native American males, ages 15 ‐ 24.
RELATED:
“Native American traditions may be the key to helping modern-day veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
– Miami Herald, Film looks at Native American traditions and PTSD.
“Rates of PTSD among American Indian Vietnam Veterans ranged from 22% to 25% (depending on the tribe) (3). American Indians were exposed to greater war zone stresses (e.g., atrocities, violence, and combat) than Whites, including psychological conflict resulting from identification with the enemy.”
– U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, PTSD Among Ethnic Minority Veterans
Download
Download the 18″x24″ poster (.pdf), Indian Country 52 #48 – Wounded Youth (PTSD).
Close Ups
Indian Country 52
Indian Country 52 is a weekly project by David Bernie that uses the medium of posters that promote issues and stories in Indian Country.
Creative Commons License
This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
