Accidental Deaths and Suicides in Southwest Alaska: Actual Versus Official Numbers

This article reports the results of a study of accidental deaths & suicides over the period 1979-84 in 49 predominantly Native villages in southwest Alaska. It shows the discrepancies between the actual & official numbers resulting from misrecordings, underrecording & underreporting, & explains how they happened. The characteristics of the population most at risk for suicide are described. (17 refs.)