UC Berkeley

Suicide is the leading cause of non-accidental death for Native American youth between the ages of 10 and 24. Clinical suicide risk assessment tools aim to prevent suicide by identifying high risk individuals and connecting them to mental healthcare services. However, certain limitations do arise when these tools are implemented in Native American contexts. This study, conducted in collaboration with the Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNSHC), seeks to understand how to prevent suicide by analyzing the perceptions surrounding Native American youth suicide and its prevention to provide insight that can guide the development of a culture-based suicide risk assessment tool. Utilizing natural language processing, this study analyzed transcribed semi-structed interviews from 27 participants (n = 27) divided into three strata: youth, community members, and SNAHC staff. The study employed exploratory data analysis, including n-gram analysis and ScatterText visualizations, to identify linguistic patterns and emergent themes related to perceptions of suicide and its prevention. Additionally, sentiment analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling were employed to further analyze the text data and uncover underlying sentiments and thematic structures. The findings underscore the cultural value of social and emotional relationships while also revealing distinct generational perspectives on mental health. Youth discussions frequently centered on themes of prevention, connection, and positive community engagement, whereas adult conversations often addressed systemic challenges and the consequences of mental health interventions. Reflecting the cultural value of cultural self-determination, the community additionally expressed a strong desire for autonomy in designing suicide prevention efforts. Regarding implementation, findings identified the potential of digital platforms as a tool for culturally relevant engagement. This study highlights the unique perceptions held by the member of the Sacramento Native American community regarding the cultural constructions of mental health, suicide, and related risk assessment tools.