Alaska Native Collaborative Hub for Resilience Research

Overview

The goal of the Alaska Native Resilience Research Study (ANRRS) is to identify community-level protective factors that can most effectively reduce co-occurring youth suicide and alcohol risk. The following specific aims will help us achieve this overarching goal. The research team will: (1): Assess the association of a set of modifiable cultural, community and institutional factors (protective community factors) with suicide, suicidal behaviors (ideation, attempt), and associated adverse outcomes (accidental death, alcohol-misuse requiring healthcare) in 64 rural and remote Alaska Native villages to identify community-level factors that are most predictive of youth health outcomes; (2): In a stratified random sample of six communities, use quantitative methods to test a multi-level model of individual-level youth protective factors as predictors of individual-level youth resilience from suicide risk outcomes; and (3): Develop and disseminate a method-Alaska Community Resilience Mapping (AK-CRM)-for communities to measure and strategically strengthen their protective capabilities to increase youth health and reduce the risk for suicide. Methodology:

The ANCHRR builds on our established tribal partnerships in the three regions of Alaska with the highest need for effective, culturally congruent and community-based suicide prevention. Drs. Rasmus and Allen have been working collaboratively with Yup'ik communities in the Yukon Kuskokwim region and Dr. Wexler has been doing community-based participatory research in Northwest Alaska (NWA) for 20 years. Both research teams have spent this time partnering with tribal communities and developing evidence-based and self-determined suicide prevention initiatives that reflect local, AN understandings and values, strengthen community systems of support, and build local capacity for strategic prevention practice. The collaborative hub will extend this successful partnership model to include all of the tribal health regions across the state. With relevance for all of rural Alaska, the Alaska Native Resilience Study will provide important insights into the community level factors-institutions, traditions, resources and leaders-and mechanisms-the community perceptions, practices and norms-that increase resilience from suicide and reduce risk. The resulting Alaska Community Resilience Mapping (AK-CRM) Tool will provide a user-friendly, visual representation of the community-level protective factors and processes, and will engage Alaska community members in identifying the community-level protective factors in their community and will offer scientifically-based recommendations for action. In this way, ANCHRR's proposed activities translate results from the research study into practical suggestions for tribal leaders, local practitioners and policy makers, to maximize its public health impact.