An analysis of hospital visits during the 12 months preceding suicide death in Northern Alaska.

In 2003 the age-adjusted suicide rate in Alaska (20.2 per 100,000) was the second highest in the country and nearly twice that of the U.S. all races population. The suicide rate among Alaska's Native population (35.1 per 100,000) was 1.7 times greater than the rate among all Alaskans and 3.3 times greater than the U.S. all races rate. This retrospective case-control study examined suicide among Alaska Native males living in a northern Alaska region, in an attempt to identify the frequency and nature of contact with medical staff during the 12 months preceding the cases' suicides. Results show that during the last year of life, cases were 2.75 times as likely to have any contact with medical staff, they were 3.29 times as likely to be treated for an injury, and were 22.18 times as likely to be treated for an alcohol-related event than were the matched controls.