Suicide Among the Inuit of Canada (IN: Suicide in Canada, edited by A A Leenaars, S Wenckstern, I Sakinofsky, R J Dyck, M J Kral & R C Bland)

The rate of completed suicide among the Inuit people in Canada is estimated to be about 3.9 times that of the Canadian average. The epidemiology of suicide among the Inuit is presented with a description of risk & protective factors. Ethnographic research is reviewed with a particular discussion of the myth of easy suicide (the elder who kills him/herself for the good of the group). The effect of culture change is examined. Strategies for effective suicide prevention are briefly outlined.