Suicide study reveals depth of Nunavut’s mental health problems

IQALUIT, Nunavut – The biggest study ever done into the risk factors for Nunavut’s high suicides rates is revealing the depth of mental health problems in the territory.

Nunavut’s suicide rate is 10 times the Canadian average and much higher than that for young men

The study found that nearly two-thirds of 120 Inuit who killed themselves between 2003 and 2006 had suffered from major depression.

It also found that about one-quarter of Inuit in a control group had also been severely depressed.

That’s three times the average Canadian rate of about eight per cent.

The study, which analyzed the life histories of suicide victims and compared them with a control group, found the victims were more likely to have suffered child sexual abuse and to have had a wide range of personality disorders.