Suicidal prevalence and risk factors in native peoples: the review of foreign data

Introduction. Suicidal rates being registered in native peoples are disproportionally high in Siberia (Russia). The same situation has been reported in some other countries, where native peoples live, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. The knowledge of the reasons and risk factors of suicidal conduct is necessary for working out preventive measures against suicides. Aim. 1) collecting information on suicide frequency in native peoples, living in different countries; 2) investigating suicidal reasons and risk factors. Methods. We were selecting the data from scientific articles and statistical database related to these issues. For making the search, we used electronic databases PubMed and MedLine as well as electronic sources of state official sites. The scope of the search was 10 years and the time period of the studies was from 2007 to 2016. Results. We marked different figures for suicidal cases in native peoples, living in various foreign countries. High frequency of suicides was registered in native populations in the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil and New Zealand. Relatively low figures have been registered in the Saami, who live in Scandinavian countries - Sweden and Norway. The analysis of reasons and risk factors showed that all the native peoples experience stress caused by forced assimilation. Moreover, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand natives were experiencing the severe stress of colonization and ethnic cleansing, which had impacted seriously the health of future generations. It has lead to «complicated grief», which is clinically reflected in increased rates of mental disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, unnatural deaths including suicides. Conclusions. The experience accumulated abroad can be useful for the clearer understanding of the social processes, being marked in native populations at the modern stage of society development. It can also contribute to the elaboration of the preventive measures against suicides in native peoples living in Russia.