Gateway Community Services

Rural Indigenous communities in Alaska suffer staggeringly high rates of suicide. In close-knit Alaska Native villages, each suicide leaves a trail of affected family and community members in its wake. This research aimed to understand community perceptions of what causes suicide in rural Alaska Native villages and generate recommendations for prevention strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 Alaska Native university students who moved from rural villages to an urban area to attend college. All had been profoundly affected by others' suicides and shared their beliefs about causal factors and recommendations for prevention efforts. Perceived causes included resistance to seeking help or discussing personal problems, loss of culture, traumatic experiences, geographical and social isolation, lack of opportunity, substance abuse, and exposure to others' suicides. Participants believed that suicide is preventable and recommended multi-level approaches to address suicide disparities. They provided recommendations for potentially effective and culturally appropriate prevention strategies, including increasing cultural and social connections, educating community members about mental health, and increasing accessibility of counseling services/reducing barriers to mental health services utilization.

Pain PracticeVolume 12, Issue 8 p. 593-594 EDITORIAL Pain Education: Getting an Early Start Craig T. Hartrick MD, Craig T. Hartrick MD Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorRichard J. Rozek PhD, Richard J. Rozek PhD School of Health Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorSean Conroy MD, Sean Conroy MD Pain Division, Beaumont Health System, Troy, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorDennis Dobritt DO, Dennis Dobritt DO Department of Surgical Specialities, MSU-COM, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorDavid Felten MD, PhD, David Felten MD, PhD Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A. Research Institute, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this author Craig T. Hartrick MD, Craig T. Hartrick MD Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorRichard J. Rozek PhD, Richard J. Rozek PhD School of Health Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorSean Conroy MD, Sean Conroy MD Pain Division, Beaumont Health System, Troy, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorDennis Dobritt DO, Dennis Dobritt DO Department of Surgical Specialities, MSU-COM, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorDavid Felten MD, PhD, David Felten MD, PhD Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A. Research Institute, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this author First published: 20 June 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00581.xCitations: 2Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume12, Issue8November 2012Pages 593-594 RelatedInformation

Staff development practices that successfully implemented long‐term applications of cluster grouping in two districts are analyzed, compared, and reviewed. Parallel practices and differences are discussed concerning program beginning, implementation, and maintenance. Conclusions are drawn and six steps for use and consideration by others engaged in gifted program development and implementation are suggested. These steps are: (1) conversations, (2) research, (3) choosing a course of action, (4) implementation, (5) supporting the new program initiative, and (6) maintenance and growth.

Hostility has been associated with coronary heart disease mortality. To assess possible mechanisms linking hostility to coronary heart disease risk, the authors conducted analyses in a cross-sectional study from data collected in 1985 and 1986 on 5,115 young adults, aged 18-30 years, black and white, male and female, in four large urban areas of the United States. The results show that higher levels of hostility as determined by the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale were strongly associated with tobacco and marijuana smoking, increased alcohol consumption, and greater caloric intake in both blacks and whites and in both men and women. The increased caloric consumption was evident in the higher waist/hip ratios, particularly in men (p less than 0.05). The associations were particularly strong (p less than 0.001) for tobacco cigarette smoking and marijuana smoking, with roughly a 1.5 times higher prevalence in the top hostility quartile compared with the bottom quartile after adjusting for age and education. Hostility levels were not related to the percentage of calories from fat or from sucrose intake, to plasma cholesterol levels, or to physical fitness (except for a weak association in the latter in white women). The results describe relations between hostility and health behaviors that may be detrimental to health. The findings provide a possible explanation for the association between hostility and coronary heart disease mortality.

Multi-disciplinary teams in treatment centres were envisaged by the Second Brain Committee in 1965 (1) as the most appropriate means of treating problem drug takers. Since then the problem has changed and expanded so that treatment facilities need to exist outside the hospital-based units, but the concept of treatment by a team of different professionals remains intact. In Wolverhampton we have produced a local treatment unit that is firmly based on the multi-disciplinary concept; it is readily accessible to those who need its services; it is not staffed by full time ‘specialists' and yet has built into it safeguards against problems that ‘non-specialists' have produced. The need for local treatment facilities will continue and it is possible that others may find Wolverhampton's experience helpful in planning their own provisions for problem drug takers.

Omni House, a nonprofit youth service agency, describes how they successfully computerize their manual information system with the help of a full-service vendor. Following approval by the Board and the Executive Director and an analysis of their information needs, a feasibility study was performed which led to the selection of the vendor. The benefits of an in-house microcomputer and the help that the right vendor can provide are discussed. Suggestions for duplicating their successful experience to other agencies are presented.

Describes an itinerant rehabilitation teacher's use of cassette tapes to supplement lessons scheduled in the home. Such tapes encourage the student to practice between visits. The Tutor Tape is usually prepared after each lesson to permit specific problems the student encountered during the lesson to be handled.