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accessHealthNews.net
September 2025
Volume 11 | Issue No. 100
Suicide is the second leading cause of
death among Indigenous youth ages 8
to 24, and Native American and Alaska
Native youth aged 10-24 have the highest
rate of suicide of all demographic groups.
The Association of Clinicians for the
Underserved presented a panel webinar,
"Preventing Suicide in Indigenous Youth:
Strategies & Considerations for Primary
Care Teams & Beyond," to explore the
vital opportunity primary care providers
and outreach staff at federally-funded
community health centers and other
clinics have to intervene with patients at
risk of suicide.
To do so effectively, health care
professionals must utilize the concept of
cultural safety to understand the unique
needs of their Indigenous patients to help
identify those at risk.
What is Cultural Safety?
Cultural safety, a concept initiated in New
Zealand in the late 1980s to deliver more
appropriate health care to the Maori
people, means creating and maintaining
an environment where one feels
physically, socially, and emotionally safe
without denying one's identity or culture.
"Cultural safety is really shifting from this false idea that it would be
enough to take a one- or two-day training on competency. Cultural
safety is really about acknowledging those power relationships, how
we can address them through a reflective practice, and making sure
the patient feels safe to be who they are … in your doctor's office."
READ MORE
- Panelist Amy Stiffarm,
Ph.D., MPH, Program Manager for Native American Initiatives
