Suicide Ideation and the Association of Chronic Disease among American Indians

To explore associations of chronic disease, perceived wellness, adverse experiences, and suicide ideation among American Indians.

Thirteen California health clinic registries formed the random household survey sampling frame (N=459) during the first stage of an intervention trial on wellness. Measures included sociodemographics, wellness status, health conditions, suicide ideation, cultural connectivity (speaking tribal language, participating in cultural practices, and feeling connected to the community), and history of physical, sexual, verbal abuse and neglect in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Chi square and Fisher exact tests examined bivariate, unadjusted relationships, while multiple logistic regression analysis examined adjusted associations.

Adverse experiences, specifically physical abuse and sexual abuse, were associated with obesity in childhood. Having poor cultural connectivity was significantly associated with (1) low perceptions of wellness; (2) physical abuse in childhood and adolescence; (3) sexual abuse in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood; and (4) verbal abuse and neglect in adulthood. Poor perception of wellness was also correlated with suicide ideation.

The relationships between suicide ideation, chronic disease, connectivity, and perception of wellness among American Indians are explored in this article.