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Editorial: Don't ignore Indian youth suicide
Monday, November 26, 2007
Filed Under: Opinion

"Of all the problems that plague South Dakota's Indian reservations, the steady stream of stories about suicides are perhaps the most upsetting.

The rate of suicide among Native Americans in South Dakota is triple the national rate for all races, and anecdotal evidence suggests that, if anything, it's increasing.

To be sure, suicide, depression, substance abuse - these issues are bound inextricably together. How do you untangle the astronomical suicide rate from the high rate of substance abuse? Pretty clearly, you can't.

But tribal health officials, who have a better view of the problem than anybody, are pleading for more funding for mental health and education programs, and 10 percent of the Indian Health Service's mental health positions in South Dakota are unfilled. If they have ideas for solutions, we need to listen."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Don't ignore Indian suicide crisis (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 11/24)

Relevant Links:
Indian Health Service - http://www.ihs.gov

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