News Release

2003-08
March 4, 2003
For Immediate Release

Advisory Group releases report on preventing youth suicide in First Nations

OTTAWA - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Matthew Coon Come today announced the release of "Acting on What We Know: Preventing Youth Suicide in First Nations."

The report was issued by the Advisory Group on Suicide Prevention. This eight-person panel was asked by the Minister of Health and the National Chief to provide short and long-term recommendations to help curb the high rate of suicides among First Nations people. The suicide rate among First Nations' youth is five to six times higher than the general Canadian population.

"The Government of Canada is working with the Assembly of First Nations and communities to prevent the tragedy of suicide," said Minister McLellan. "The Government of Canada is grateful for the analysis offered by the Advisory Group on Suicide Prevention. We are working with the Assembly of First Nations to distribute the report to First Nations communities and we are acting on a number of the recommendations."

"The recommendations in this report will assist in addressing the current epidemic of depression and despair among First Nations' youth," said National Chief Coon Come. "But we must act now to implement immediate short-term strategies to help reduce the alarming rate of suicide."

The report's recommendations fall under four main themes: increasing knowledge about what works in suicide prevention; developing more effective and integrated health care services at national, regional, and local levels; supporting community-driven approaches; and creating strategies for building youth identity, resilience and culture.

"We won't be able to stop this crisis overnight, but we will be taking positive steps towards healing the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual problems that plague our young people," said the National Chief. "Our future depends upon our youth being able to see a bright future for themselves."

Health Canada actions will include:

• Holding a youth roundtable to discuss the report's recommendations;
• Responding on specific recommendations that roundtable members prioritize;
• Working with communities on a tool for identifying preconditions for suicide and risk levels to prevent further tragedies from taking place; and
• Exploring partnerships with the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to establish a research fund on suicide prevention.

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Acting on What We Know: Preventing Youth Suicide in First Nations

Media Inquiries:
Tara Madigan
Media Relations
Health Canada
(613) 946-4250

Bryan Hendry
Communications Officer
Assembly of First Nations
(613) 241-6789 ext. 229