Why social justice matters: a context for suicide prevention efforts.

Suicide is among the 10 leading causes of death in the US and has the potential to suddenly change many lives. It often occurs when people are disproportionately affected by societal conditions, including inequities, discrimination, oppression, and historical trauma. We posit that a social justice framework can improve suicide prevention efforts when incorporated into existing strategies because it mandates that inequities be addressed. It does so through education, engagement, advocacy, and action, and can be especially effective in states and nations with high suicide rates and entrenched societal inequities.

Suicide, Resilience, and Connectedness Across the Lifespan: Lessons From American Indian and Alaska Native Elders.

Rates of suicide and associated costs are high and increasing in the United States. From 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate increased 24%, with the pace of increase being greater since 2006. American Indian and Alaska Native persons have significantly lower rates of suicides than other ethnic groups as elders despite experiencing some of the highest rates during adolescence. This article examines literature pertaining to suicide rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and proposes a framework for understanding their lower rates of suicide as elders. Such understanding offers opportunities for developing strategies for suicide prevention across lifespan.

Convicted driving-while-impaired offenders' views on effectiveness of sanctions and treatment.

In this article we analyze qualitative data from a multiple-method, longitudinal study drawn from 15-year follow-up interviews with a subsample of 82 individuals arrested for driving while intoxicated in a southwestern state (1989-1995). We explore reactions to the arrest and court-mandated sanctions, including legal punishments, mandated interventions, and/or participation in programs aimed at reducing recidivism. Key findings include experiencing certain negative emotional reactions to the arrest, reactions to being jailed, experiencing other court-related sanctions as deterring driving-while-intoxicated behavior, and generally negative opinions regarding court-mandated interventions. We discuss interviewees' complex perspectives on treatment and program participation and their effects on lessening recidivism, and we offer suggestions for reducing recidivism based on our findings.