Cultural and Ethical Issues Concerning Research on American Indian Youth

A study of American Indian youth illustrated competing pressures between research & ethics. A stakeholder-research team developed 3 plans to protect participants. The first allowed participants to skip potentially upsetting interview sections, the second called for referrals &/or emergency 24-hour clinical backup for participants flagged for abuse or suicidality, & the third included giving participants a list of community services. Participants seldom chose to skip sections but more had problems than expected (1 in 3 had thought about suicide & 1 in 5 had attemptd suicide). Service agencies were not equipped to respond. It is concluded that researchers must accept the competing pressures & find ethically appropriate compromises that will not undermine research integrity. (40 refs.)