The “Sameness Paradox”: Suicide Risk and Social Networks Among Urban American Indian Young Adults

• In Event: Revitalizing the Sociology of Suicide

Abstract

Contemporary research extends recent policy emphasis on social connectedness in health to suggest that not just social ties but both social network configurations and contextual alignment with the status and experiences of others in that network (“sameness”) can reduce suicide risk for many groups. Yet, for American Indian and Alaska Native people, “sameness” increases suicide risk. Here, we consider the paradox and these new directions using survey data from the Networks and Suicide Risk Among American Indians and Alaska Natives Study (n=168) in the urban Southwest. Latent profile and regression analyses evaluate suicide risk by network characteristics and typological network profiles. Distinct network configurations and a “sameness paradox” are supported. Large, loose network types with mental health sameness is associated with the highest likelihood of suicide risk. Developing network-targeted interventions rather than only individual or typical group interventions in healthcare centers can reduce the high, persistent risk in this population.

Authors

• Ashley Railey, Oklahoma State University

• Bernice A. Pescosolido, Indiana University-Bloomington

• Linda Son-Stone, First Nations Community HealthSource

• Tassy Parker, University of New Mexico

• Spero Manson, Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus