Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 20, 2016

Contact: Brittany L. Keener

E-mail: bkeener1@liberty.edu
Web site: http://brittanykeenerhlth634b01.weebly.com/

Increasing Access to Suicide Prevention Programs in the Last Frontier

(Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 8.6)
(Anchorage, AK) A Liberty University Master in Public Health student has created an online
blog to use the power of social media to help prevent suicide in Alaska Native youth, who have
the highest rate of suicide in the country. The blog provides links to sources to get help and an
option to chat with mental health professionals through a partnership with the Alaska Native
Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and the Indian Health Services (IHS). By using an online
format, Alaska Native youth who live in remote villages can get the help they need that they may
not be able to get in their local community.
The Suicide Prevention in the Last Frontier blog targets preventing suicide in Alaska
Native youth. The rate of suicide in the United States was 12.57 suicides per 100,000 in 2013,
with the rate in Alaska being 23.4 suicides per 100,000 people.1 Alaska Natives had a suicide
rate of 35.1 per 100,000 people in 2007.2 Alaska Native men aged 15 to 24 years old have the
highest rate of suicide in the country with an average of 141.6 suicides per 100,000 each year
between 2000 and 2009.2 Young Alaska Native males aged 15-24 are almost nine times as likely
to die as all U.S. males in this age group.3 Alaska Native females aged 15-24 are nineteen times
as likely to die as all U.S. females in this age group.3 One Alaska Native person dies from suicide
about every eight days.3
-more-

We are very concerned by the ongoing tragedy of suicide in Indian Country, said IHS
Director Yvette Roubideaux, M.D., M.P.H. We know the consequences of suicide are
devastating to our families and tribal communities.
We have heard the pleas of tribal leaders for coordinated prevention and intervention
efforts to address these tragic events, particularly among our youth, said Department of the
Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk.
By working together with local and national organizations, their experience and previous
prevention programs can have a major impact on the Alaska Native population. A recent study
has shown that American Indian/Alaska Native youth aged 13 to 21 years old had exceptionally
common technology use, mirroring or exceeding national rates.4 High rates of online health
information seeking was reported, with over 75% of those surveyed reported searching online for
health information.4 Even those living in the most remote villages in Alaska have access to the
Internet and social media.
Brittany Keener can be contacted at bkeener1@liberty.edu and the Suicide Prevention in
the Last Frontier blog is located at http://brittanykeenerhlth634b01.weebly.com/. More
information can also be found at http://stopsuicidealaska.org/ and
http://anthctoday.org/community/suicide_prevention.html.
Suicide Prevention in the Last Frontier is a collaboration between Brittany Keener, the
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Indian Health Services. This blog focuses on the
prevention of suicide in Alaska Native youth. For more information, please visit
http://brittanykeenerhlth634b01.weebly.com/.
###

References:
1. Stop Suicide Alaska. Get Help Now. Stop Suicide Alaska.
http://stopsuicidealaska.org/article/get-help-now. Accessed January 27, 2016.
2. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Alaska Suicide Facts and Statistics. Alaska
Department of Health and Social Services.
http://dhss.alaska.gov/SuicidePrevention/Documents/pdfs_sspc/AKSuicideStatistics.pdf.
Accessed January 27, 2016.
3. Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Coming together to reduce suicide. Alaska Native
Tribal Health Consortium. http://anthctoday.org/community/suicide_prevention.html. Accessed
February 20, 2016.
4. Rushing SC, Stephens D. Use of Media Technologies by Native American Teens and Young
Adults in the Pacific Northwest: Exploring Their Utility for Designing Culturally Appropriate
Technology-Based Health Interventions. Journal of Primary Prevention. 2010; 31(1-2). DOI:
10.1007/s10935-011-0242-z.