Data were collected prospectively from psychiatric evaluations performed
on 53 consecutive Eskimos in the Bering Strait region who attempted
suicide. Depressive diagnoses were common (N = 49). Thirty- seven (70%) of
the attempts were preceded by a recent interpersonal loss. Sixty percent of
the patients had lost a parent during childhood. Poor affective
relatedness, especially around issues of loss, was noted in most of the
patients. Thus, both multiple losses and limited grieving mechanisms may be
important risk factors for attempted suicide in this population.Abstract Teaser