Research summary
Suicide rates among Indigenous Peoples in Canada are three times higher than for non-Indigenous Canadians—and even higher for Indigenous youth. As Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Life Promotion and Social Action on Suicide, Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos aims to better understand the structural dimensions of suicide for Indigenous Peoples. He and his research team are also generating strengths-based, life-affirming, culturally-relevant approaches to preventing it.
Through Indigenous and community psychology research, Ansloos and his team are shedding light on how factors such as Indigenous identity, social location and the lived experiences of youth and community intersect. By bridging community-based research practices with arts-based, new media and qualitative methods, they hope to identify life-promoting practices and strengthen capacity across Indigenous communities.