Submission ID 131885
| Issue/Objective | Suicide remains a significant concern in many Indigenous communities, yet most suicide risk screening approaches are grounded in Western frameworks that may not reflect Indigenous understandings of wellness, distress, and relationality. In Kahnawà:ke, suicide prevention has been identified as a community priority. Based on input from community partners at Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC), no culturally adapted suicide risk screening tool has been identified for use. Conducted in collaboration with KMHC, this study aimed to (1) explore the outlooks of healthcare providers, social service providers, first responders, and community members regarding suicide and suicide risk screening in Kahnawà:ke; and (2) generate insights to guide the future development of a culturally grounded screening approach aligned with community priorities and Indigenous Knowledge systems. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Grounded in community-based participatory research and informed by a qualitative descriptive design, this study was guided by the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum framework as a theoretical lens. Data were collected between October and November 2025 through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 24 participants who live in or serve the community. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. |
| Results | Results suggest an epistemic misalignment between dominant Western conceptualizations of suicide and Kanien'kehá:ka outlooks, where suicide was described as relational, contextual, and shaped by ongoing colonial impacts. Participants emphasized suicide as variably recognized and not always captured within formal systems. Screening was described not as a neutral or purely technical activity, but as a relational process shaped by trust, safety, and prior experiences with health and social systems. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | These results suggest that improving suicide risk screening in Kahnawà:ke may require moving beyond standardized, individual-level risk models toward relational, contextually grounded approaches that center community voices and are aligned with Indigenous Knowledge systems, co-developed with the Kahnawà:ke community. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Lara Humes Doucet McGill University Josée Lavallée McGill University Tamara Hansen Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre Franco Carnevale McGill University Robin Guyer Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre |
