Factors associated with suicidal ideation for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples using the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey

• Main Author: Elsom, Anthony
• Other Authors: Bolton, James (Psychiatry), Roos, Leslie (Psychology), Nijdam-Jones, Alicia
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2025
• Subjects: suicidal ideation; Canada; Indigenous peoples; First Nations; Inuit; Métis; protective and risk factors; inuit
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/38759

Suicide is a global problem that results in a significant number of deaths and disabilities every year. In Canada, approximately 4,500 people die by suicide annually. Indigenous peoples are at an increased risk for suicide, and First Nations and Métis adults experience twice as many suicides as non-Indigenous peoples. The rate of suicide is even higher for Inuit adults, at four times that of non-Indigenous peoples. This project utilized the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) with a sample of (N = 20,660) to examine unique protective and risk factors associated with suicidal ideation among Canada’s First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. The prevalence rate of Indigenous respondents who experienced suicidal ideation during the lifetime and last 12 months was found to be 18.9% and 5.6%, respectively. Three protective factors (language, cultural activities, sense of belonging) and nine risk factors (alcohol, drugs, mental health, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, health status, income, housing, and residential school attendance) were analyzed using various statistical tests, including Chi-squared analyses, logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression on the outcome variable of suicidal ideation during the lifetime and last 12 months. Findings revealed only partial support for the hypothesized protective factors and overwhelming support for risk factors. February 2025 Paul First Nations