| The present study was designed to examine the association and interrelationship between exposure to suicide or suicidal behavior, childhood exposure to domestic violence, legal difficulties, and social problem-solving orientation and social problem-solving styles utilized by young Canadian First Nations males as they address everyday social problems. Suicide is endemic among Canadian Aboriginal males (De Leo, 2002). The 1998 national rate for suicide among Canadian First Nations males between the ages of 15-and 24 was 130 per 100,000 (Sinclair, 1998). This is six times the overall national suicide rate for non-Aboriginal Canadian males.; A total of 85 Canadian First Nations males between the ages of 18 and 28 were administered the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ; Linehan, 1981), a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979), and the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R:S; D'Zurilla, Nezu, & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002). Results indicated no significant association between direct exposure to suicidal behavior and reported suicide attempts ( r = .16, p < .13). However, young people who reported exposure to the suicide death of an acquaintance (r = .73, p < .05) or friend (r = .51, p < .10) were more likely to experience thoughts of ending their lives at a younger age. A negative problem orientation in addressing everyday social problems was associated with increased exposure to suicidal behavior or completed suicide (r = .23, p < .05) and increase in convictions for violent offenses as a minor (r = .45, p < .05) and as adults (r = .52, p < .06). Young males who reported observing their parents engage in verbal (r = .29, p < .05) or physically aggressive behavior (r = .45, p < .01) were more likely to have experienced suicide ideation; whereas males who observed their parents engage in verbal (r = .44, p < .01) or physical aggression (r = .41, p < .01) were more likely to have engaged in a suicide attempt. Exposure to interparental violence was also associated with the development of an avoidance style in addressing everyday social problems (r = .24, p < .05). |
