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A Protective Factors Model for Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Prevention Among Alaska Native Youth

  • Original Article
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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

This study provides an empirical test of a culturally grounded theoretical model for prevention of alcohol abuse and suicide risk with Alaska Native youth, using a promising set of culturally appropriate measures for the study of the process of change and outcome. This model is derived from qualitative work that generated an heuristic model of protective factors from alcohol (Allen et al. in J Prev Interv Commun 32:41–59, 2006; Mohatt et al. in Am J Commun Psychol 33:263–273, 2004a; Harm Reduct 1, 2004b). Participants included 413 rural Alaska Native youth ages 12–18 who assisted in testing a predictive model of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes about alcohol abuse consequences as co-occurring outcomes. Specific individual, family, peer, and community level protective factor variables predicted these outcomes. Results suggest prominent roles for these predictor variables as intermediate prevention strategy target variables in a theoretical model for a multilevel intervention. The model guides understanding of underlying change processes in an intervention to increase the ultimate outcome variables of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes regarding the consequences of alcohol abuse.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Center for Research Resources [R21AA016098-01, RO1AA11446; R21AA016098; R24MD001626; P20RR061430]. We also want to thank all of the People Awakening Team including participants, community co-researchers, community planning groups, our councils and our project staff for their assistance in completing this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, Duluth, MN, USA

    James Allen

  2. Canter for Alaska Native Health Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    James Allen, Gerald V. Mohatt, Carlotta Ching Ting Fok & Rebekah Burkett

  3. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    David Henry

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People Awakening Team

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Correspondence to James Allen.

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Appendix: People Awakening (PA) Team

Appendix: People Awakening (PA) Team

The People Awakening (PA) Team includes the Yupiucimta Asvairtuumallerkaa Community Planning Group, the Elluam Tungiinun Community Planning Group, the Yup’ik Regional Coordinating Council, and the Elluam Tungiinun, Yupiucimta Asvairtuumallerkaa, and Cuqyun Project Staff. The Yupiucimta Asvairtuumallerkaa Council included Sophie Agimuk, Harry Asuluk, Thomas Asuluk, T.J. Bentley, John Carl, Mary Carl, Emily Chagluk, James Charlie, Sr., Lizzie Chimiugak, Ruth Jimmie, Jolene John, Paul John, Simeon John, Aaron Moses, Phillip Moses, Harry Tulik, and Cecelia White. The Elluam Tungiinun Council includes Catherine Agayar, Fred Augustine, Mary Augustine, Paula Ayunerak, Theresa Damian, Lawrence Edmund, Sr., Barbara Joe, Lucy Joseph, Joe Joseph, Placide Joseph, Zacheus Paul, Charlotte Phillp, Henry Phillip, Joe Phillip, Penny Alstrom, Fred Augustine, Mary Augustine, Paula Ayunerak, Theresa Damian, Shelby Edmund, Flora Patrick, Dennis Sheldon, Isidore Shelton, Catherine Agayar, Theresa Damian, Freddie Edmund, Shelby Edmund, Josie Edmund, and Flora Patrick. The Yup’ik Regional Coordinating Council includes Martha Simon, Moses Tulim, Ed Adams, Tammy Aguchak, Paula Ayunerak, Sebastian Cowboy, Lawrence Edmunds, Margaret Harpak, Charles Moses, Raymond Oney. The External Advisory Group includes Walkie Charles, Richard Katz, Mary Sexton, Lisa Rey Thomas, Beti Thompson, and Edison Trickett. The project staff includes Debbie Alstrom, Carl Blackhurst, Rebekah Burkett, Diana Campbell, Arthur Chikigak, Michelle Dondanville, Gunnar Ebbesson, Aaron Fortner, John Gonzalez, Johanna Herron, Scarlett Hopkins, Nick Hubalik, Joseph Klejka, Jonghan Kim, Rebecca Koskela, Charles Moses, Dora Nicholai, Eliza Orr, Marvin Paul, and Stacy Rasmus. Cuqyun also acknowledges the invaluable contributions of James A. Walsh.

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Allen, J., Mohatt, G.V., Fok, C.C.T. et al. A Protective Factors Model for Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Prevention Among Alaska Native Youth. Am J Community Psychol 54, 125–139 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-014-9661-3

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