Mental and Behavioral Health - American Indians/Alaska Natives

• In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death for non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives ages 10–34.¹
• In 2018, American Indians/Alaska Natives were 50% more likely to experience the feeling that everything is an effort, all or most of the time, than non-Hispanic whites.²
• In 2020, the overall death rate from suicide for American Indian/Alaska Natives was about 50% higher than for non-Hispanic whites.³
• In 2021, the death rate for suicide among adolescent American Indian/Alaska Native females, ages 15–19, was more than five times higher than for non-Hispanic white females in the same age group.⁴

Mental Health Status

Serious psychological distress in the past year among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15.4	14.2	1.1

Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or that everything is an effort, all or most of the time, among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2018
	American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Sadness	--	2.7	--
Hopelessness	--	2.2	--
Worthlessness	3.4	2.3	1.5
Everything is an effort	9.8	6.5	1.5

Serious psychological distress among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2018
	American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Total	4.4	3.7	1.2

Major depressive episode in the past year among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
4.2	9.1	0.5

Any mental illness in the past year among persons age 18 and over, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
23.5	24.0	1.0

Death Rates

Age-adjusted death rates for suicide by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2021
	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male	43.4	30.0	1.4
Female	13.4	7.5	1.8
Total	28.2	18.6	1.5

Suicide rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin, 2019: Males
	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Males	Non-Hispanic White Males	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15–24 years	54.8	25.6	2.1
25–44 years	59.1	36.0	1.6
45–64 years	23.2	38.3	0.6
65 years and over	16.3	37.6	0.4
All ages, age adjusted	33.0	28.0	1.2

Suicide rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin, 2019: Females
	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Females	Non-Hispanic White Females	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15–24 years	24.9	6.1	4.1
25–44 years	19.3	9.8	2.0
45–64 years	10.1	12.6	0.8
65 years and over	--	6.2	--
All ages, age adjusted	12.1	7.7	1.6

Adolescents

Death rates for suicide: ages 15–19, 2021
	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male	48.3	17.7	2.7
Female	29.3	5.0	5.9
Both Sexes	39.0	11.6	3.4

Students in grades 9–12 who seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
24.5	22.1	1.1

Students in grades 9–12 who attempted suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
11.5	8.3	1.4

Access To Health Care

Adults age 18 and over who received mental health treatment in the past year, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
25.5	27.0	0.9

Adults age 18 and over who received mental health treatment through prescription medication, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15.3	20.6	0.7

Adults age 18 and over with a major depressive episode in the past year who received treatment for depression, percentage, 2022
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--	70.2	--

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¹ CDC. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). [Accessed 06/11/2024]. (back)

² CDC, 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-7c. (back)

³ CDC, 2024. Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 10. (back)

⁴ CDC. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). National Violent Death Reporting System. Violent Deaths Report. (back)