VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- In Canada, suicide is the third leading cause of death ahead of HIV/AIDS, diabetes and car accidents, a study finds.
"In Canada, suicide rates in the Aboriginal population are significantly higher than the non-Aboriginal rates -- among First Nations youth, this rate is estimated to be five to six times higher," explains Dr. Jeff Reading, scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health in Victoria, British Columbia.
"Suicide in Aboriginal communities is a sensitive issue. We have known for some time now that First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities need to be involved in determining the most effective interventions needed to address specific health needs."
One important factor that predisposes individuals to commit suicide is mental illness, according to Dr. Remi Quirion, scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction in Montreal.
"Of the many mental disorders associated with suicidal behavior, depression is the most common," said Quirion. "Two-thirds of those who die as a result of suicide have some form of depression."
