Understanding the relationship between substance use and self-injury in American Indian youth.

BACKGROUND

American Indian communities compared to other US populations are challenged by the largest health disparities in substance abuse and suicidal behavior among youth ages 15-24.

OBJECTIVES

This article examines the co-occurrence of substance use and self-injury among reservation-based youth in the US.

METHODS

White Mountain Apache tribal leaders and Johns Hopkins University formed a partnership to address self-injury and substance abuse among Apache youth. Data on suicide (deaths, attempts, ideation), non-suicidal self-injury, and substance use were analyzed from the White Mountain Apache tribally mandated self-injury surveillance registry from 2007 to 2010, including 567 validated incidents from 352 individuals aged 15-24 years. Findings regarding characteristics of co-occurrence - including differences in the type of self-harm behavior, gender, and reported reasons for the act - were interpreted through a community-based participatory research process.

RESULTS

From 2007 to 2010, 64% (n = 7/11) of Apache youth ages 15-24 were "drunk or high" at the time of suicide death with data missing for 2/11 deaths; 75.7% (n = 118/156) were "drunk or high" during suicide attempt; 49.4% (n = 83/168) during suicidal ideation; and 49.4% (81/166) during non-suicidal self-injury. Co-occurrence of substance use was higher for more lethal acts and among males.

CONCLUSION

High rates of co-occurring self-injury and substance use within this population highlight the importance of research to understand relationships between these behaviors to design preemptive and integrated interventions.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

Tribal-specific and culturally informed data on the co-occurrence of self-injury and substance use hold promise for reducing the combined toll of years of productive life lost among American Indian youth.