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Tragedy takes toll among youth with suicides at an all-time high

"Young people need to know that sadness always passes"

JIM BELL

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
At last May's conference in Iqaluit organized by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, people posted the names of those who have died by suicide onto this bulletin board at Inuksuk high school. (FILE PHOTO)

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Nunavut's suicide count for 2003 hit 31 last month, the highest ever - and the year isn't even over.

That grim piece of news is contained in a brief report issued last week by Tim Neily, Nunavut's chief coroner, showing 31 Nunavummiut died by suicide in the 10-month period between Jan. 1. and Oct. 27, 2003.

"I think the numbers speak for themselves. It's a pretty dismal picture," Neily said.

Until now, 2001, at 28 suicides, had been Nunavut's worst year. In 2002, that number fell to 24.

But five suicides, all recorded this past October, pushed the 2003 body count to a record, Neily said.

He said he and other coroners are praying those numbers won't get higher this month. In most previous years, November has produced higher suicide numbers than most other months of the year.

To avoid that, suicide prevention activists are refusing to give up.

"It's going to take more effort on the part of everybody. Everyone must take some ownership of the issue," said Sheila Levy, a member of the board that runs Nunavut's Kamatsiaqtut crisis line.

"Be aware of who is alone and make sure there are activities going on, especially group activities and enough things to take part in throughout the period," Levy said. "When people are in a low mood, they need more help and support."

Since April 1, 1999, 128 people have taken their own lives in Nunavut. Most of them were young men, most were aged 14 to 24, and most were Inuit.

The highest suicide death count is in Iqaluit, where 23 people have taken their lives since April 1, 1999. The next worst communities are Pangnirtung (11), Rankin Inlet (9), and Qikiqtarjuaq (8). Cape Dorset, Igloolik, Kugluktuk and Pond Inlet have suffered seven each.

At the same time, some communities have seen few or no suicides. Since April 1, 1999, there have been no suicides in Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Kugaaruk and Whale Cove, while Chesterfield Inlet and Sanikiluaq have seen only one each.

Over the same period, the territorial government and other organizations have thrown more and more resources into suicide prevention. In February 2001, the GN's health department launched a million-dollar multimedia campaign aimed at young people, and the family and friends of people at risk.

In 2002, the GN appointed a seven-member suicide prevention task force to tour the territory and look for ideas. Their report was issued this week.

In May of 2003, the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, with the help of large donations from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and other Inuit organizations, held a four-day conference in Iqaluit that brought more than 700 people to Nunavut's capital.

Since that conference, some suicide prevention activists have been focusing on the way Inuit young people react to broken romantic relationships.

Michael Kral, a psychologist and graduate student in anthropology at Yale University, led a major study of Inuit suicides in two Nunavut communities. His study was presented at the Iqaluit CASP conference this past May.

"The number one attribution by Inuit for suicides was romantic problems, followed by family problems," Kral said.

He cautions, however, that the roots of suicide are complex, and that painful romantic relationships are only one of many factors associated with youth suicide in Nunavut.

"It's not unique to Inuit at all. It's common to young white people in North America, for example, as one of a number of issues that precipitate suicide," he said.

The tough question, however, is why Inuit youth turn to suicide in such large numbers to deal with emotional pain.

"Yes, break-ups hurt badly, but how is it that suicide has become a part of the mind-set of young people? One of my main questions is how is it that suicide has become part of the mind-set of young people?" Kral said.

Sheila Levy advises, however, that parents should not underestimate the seriousness of boyfriend and girlfriend problems, and should pay attention to their teenaged children when they're in emotional turmoil.

"They need to know that it's normal to feel the pain. Young people need to know that sometimes life is good, and sometimes life is sad, but the sadness always passes," Levy said.

Bill Riddell, a former social worker and counsellor in Iqaluit, agrees that young people need to learn that.

"It's normal for people at that age to test out relationships, and it's normal to fail. You're going to learn from these failures about yourself," Riddell said.

"So if people could just relax and understand that failure in romantic relationships is normal, then they would feel a lot better about themselves."

The Kamatsiaqtut Help Line's phone numbers are 979-3333 in Iqaluit and 1-800-265-3333 outside Iqaluit. The line operates from 7 p.m. until midnight, eastern time, every evening.

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