Suicide prevention for Indigenous Elders “virtually non-existent,” says CEO of Carrier Sekani Family Services

Prevention programs for suicide among Elders in the Carrier Sekani are severely lacking, but funding for new research may be changing that.

UNBC’s Dr. Henry Harder and Dr. Travis Holyk with the Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) have just received a $1.5 million grant to pursue a five-year research project focused on strengthening mental wellness and suicide prevention for Elders in BC’s Northern Interior.

Dr. Holyk said, “We will be looking at suicide among elders and focusing on the cultural values that the Carrier Sekani and family services and the families share.”

“It comes directly from the communities that we serve, they want this research done, focusing on a positive approach using the Carrier values.”

“The impacts of colonization have really created some disempowerment in the community and we will be able to move away from that deficit-based approach to health and wellness, where we focus on those positive aspects of what makes an individual strong.”  

“The issue of suicide among Indigenous communities is typically much higher than that of the Canadian population, and while society continues to look for solutions to address this matter, it falls short on a successful strategy and funding,” said Warner Adam, CEO of Carrier Sekani Family Services.

“Suicide and suicide ideation prevention programs in the elderly population is virtually non-existent. Along with our partners, we hope to examine our strategies so that we can provide some insight on policy, program design, and delivery based on our findings.”