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NCJ Number:
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NCJ 199363
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Title:
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Assessing Suicide and Risk Behaviors in an Incarcerated American Indian Population: Investigating Culturally Sensitive Risk Assessment Instruments and Procedures in a Border Jail, Final Report
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Author(s):
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Margaret Severson M.S.W ; Christine W. Duclos Ph.D.
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Corporate Author:
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University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare
United States
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Date Published:
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06/2003 |
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Page Count:
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226 |
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Sponsoring Agency:
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Grant Number:
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1999-IJ-CX-0016 |
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Sale Source:
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NCJRS Photocopy Services
Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
United States
University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare
303 Twente Hall
1545 Lilac Lane
Lawrence, KS 66044-3184
United States |
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Document:
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PDF |
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Agency Summary:
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Agency Summary |
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Type:
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Studies/research reports ; Tests/measurements |
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Language:
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English |
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Country:
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United States |
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Annotation:
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This study determined whether a popular contemporary suicide risk
assessment tool is culturally appropriate for use with American
Indians admitted into a county jail facility that borders Indian
reservations, as well as whether the use of different suicide
screening protocols results in a difference in the reliability of
detainees' reports of suicide ideation and related risk factors. |
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Abstract:
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Two self-report surveys and jail documents were used to ascertain
validation data as well as honesty and comfort-level of screening
protocols. During the sampling period from October 1999 through
January 2000, all new prisoners who gave their informed consent
were given a self-report survey after they had been interviewed
using the New York Suicide Prevention Screening Guidelines. The
sampling period for the second year of research was initiated in
October 2000 and continued through May 2001. Additionally, focus
groups were convened to review item-level responses to the jail's
current risk-assessment tool and to assess process issues. The
study found that the prevalence of suicide ideation was the same
across Indian and non-Indian groups, a rate lower than
anticipated. Validity concordance was low in sensitivity for the
suicide risk-assessment screening tool, especially with American
Indians. Focus group results suggest the nondisclosure of suicide
ideation and other risk factors due to both the wording of the
question and procedural and culturally specific issues. The
timing of the assessment, the wording of the assessment tool, the
establishment of a trusting relationship, and a concerned
demeanor were found to increase honesty as well as comfort levels
for full disclosure. Indian-specific concepts of community,
mental health, loss, respect, "ghost" illness, and direct
questioning of negatively framed concepts were found to be
influential. The study advises that a "one size fits all"
screening tool used in a detached manner will not adequately
assess suicide ideation among people of any culture, particularly
American Indians. Further research is needed to explore the
impact of the timing of risk assessments in the jail environment
on a person's likelihood of answering truthfully about their
thoughts and intentions. Further, research must assist in the
development of rigorously tested assessment tools and procedures
that address the specific cultural and social factors identified
in this report. 31 tables, 45 references, and appended study
instruments and supplementary information |
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Main Term(s):
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Corrections policies |
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Index Term(s):
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Suicide ; American Indians ; Inmate classification ; Cultural influences ; Risk management ; Suicide prevention ; NIJ grant-related documents |
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Note:
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Dataset may be archived by the NIJ Data Resources Program at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data |
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To cite this abstract, use the following link:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=199363
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* A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents
not available online, a link to the publisher's web site is provided.
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