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Suicide amongst the Inuit of Nunavut: An Exploration of Life Trajectories

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  • William Affleck

    (Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
    Département de psychoéducation et psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC J9A 1L8, Canada)

  • Eduardo Chachamovich

    (Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
    McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada)

  • Nadia Chawky

    (McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada)

  • Guy Beauchamp

    (McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada)

  • Gustavo Turecki

    (Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
    Département de psychoéducation et psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC J9A 1L8, Canada
    McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada)

  • Monique Séguin

    (Département de psychoéducation et psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC J9A 1L8, Canada
    McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada)

Abstract

This article reports results of the life trajectories from 92 Inuit who died by suicide, matched for age and gender with 92 living-controls. A proxy-based procedure and semi-structured interviews with informants were conducted to obtain trajectories of developmental events occurring over the life course for suicide and community-matched controls. Results from this research indicate two different trajectories that differentiate the control-group from the suicide-group throughout the life course. Even though the number of suicide attempts are similar between both groups, the suicide-group had a more important burden of adversity, which seemed to create a cascading effect, leading to suicide.

Suggested Citation

  • William Affleck & Eduardo Chachamovich & Nadia Chawky & Guy Beauchamp & Gustavo Turecki & Monique Séguin, 2020. "Suicide amongst the Inuit of Nunavut: An Exploration of Life Trajectories," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:6:p:1812-:d:331071
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dale Dannefer, 2003. "Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage and the Life Course: Cross-Fertilizing Age and Social Science Theory," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(6), pages 327-337.
    2. Véronique Beaudoin & Monique Séguin & Nadia Chawky & William Affleck & Eduardo Chachamovich & Gustavo Turecki, 2018. "Protective Factors in the Inuit Population of Nunavut: A Comparative Study of People Who Died by Suicide, People Who Attempted Suicide, and People Who Never Attempted Suicide," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, January.
    3. Wexler, L.M. & Gone, J.P., 2012. "Culturally responsive suicide prevention in indigenous communities: Unexamined assumptions and new possibilities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(5), pages 800-806.
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    Keywords

    suicide; Inuit; life trajectory;
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