Among friends
Peer-to-peer suicide prevention program brought to Shiprock High
By Chee Brossy
Navajo Times
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SHIPROCK, May 8, 2008
If you saw the 100 or so students at Shiprock High School laughing and joking with each other, it may have seemed at odds with the somber subject at hand - suicide among Navajo teens.But Gina Roanhorse, project manager of the three-day peer-to-peer support training program by Native HOPE, would say that the upbeat attitude is exactly what is necessary for these youth to succeed in eliminating suicide among teens.
"The purpose of the Native HOPE program is to enable youth to identify when a friend needs help," Roanhorse said.
The program, whose acronym stands for "helping our people endure," is a three-day workshop in which students participate in team-building exercises, learn to notice signs of depression in peers, and debate issues such as the "code of silence," or pressure to keep silent about the problems of peers.
According to Indian Health Service, the rate of suicide among Native Americans is 2.5 times the national average.
During the 2004-05 school year, there were 14 youth suicides in McKinley County. Of that number 13 were Native American, and the majority were Navajo.
Although there has been no evidence in Shiprock that indicates its susceptibility to suicide is higher than other Native areas, Roanhorse and others involved in health care of youth in Shiprock know that the subject deserves their attention.
And one of the best ways to bring the rate down is for youth to receive support from their peers through the recognition of early signs of depression and thoughts of suicide.
"In my experience kids trust their friends more than they do adults," Roanhorse said. "The purpose of this program is to teach kids how to talk with their friends about not doing risky behavior."
From the amount of enthusiasm evident at the Chieftain Pit on Tuesday, it seemed the students were receptive and enjoying themselves.
"It's good because it's students who can relate to other students," said Kimberly, a freshman at Shiprock High who participated in the program. Kimberly noted that she has known friends who have committed suicide.
Stanley, also a freshman, said he didn't personally know anyone who had committed or considered suicide.
"But this still could become helpful later on in life," he added.
Interspersed throughout the student training groups were a few Navajo health care professionals in the teen health field.
Susie John, a Navajo pediatrician at Shiprock IHS, underscored the importance of the Native HOPE program.
"Native kids are at risk here, particularly among boys aged 15 to 24 - their suicide rate is four times the national average," said John. "I've known families who've lost loved ones to suicide, I know how devastating it is."
Particularly important is combating the "code of silence," said John.
"A lot of times the teenagers knew (about a friend's suicidal risk) before it happened," she said. "They were talking about it with their friends, but a lot of times the adults don't know at all.
"So part of what needs to be done is for us to show we can be trusted as adults," John added. "What we're doing here is putting a face to it, establishing relationships with the kids."
Darlene Begay, a school health coordinator at Shiprock, had her own sobering figures.
According to a survey of Navajo youth on the reservation, 22 percent have attempted suicide, Begay said.
"You can't have kids ready to learn unless they're healthy," Begay said. "We've been trying to let the school know that we have to focus on the whole child rather than just academics and testing."
The Native HOPE program was started on the Standing Rock and Red Lake reservations in the Dakotas and Minnesota to combat youth suicide. Most recently the program was hosted by Bernalillo Middle School.