SJ Issue:
Suicide Rates and Substance abuse and how it affected the Native Alaskans due to the drastic change in their living environment.
Behavioral Choice Theory
Cognitive Behavioral Theory
This theory states that one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all connected. The way one thinks affects the way they feel, which in turn, affects their behavior.
Social Cognitive Theory
Interpersonal Psychological Theory
Solutions:
Awareness of this issue can be spread by letting people know that they are not alone and that there are nonjudgmental people available to help.
School systems can implement early intervention plans which would focus on educating students on how to drink responsibly as opposed to lecturing them not drink at all.
It is crucial to establish funding to help sustain support groups with trained and qualified staff. This funding will also ensure that there are more counselors and trained personnel available to intervene in crises.
Suicidal thoughts emerge from high levels of stress, intrusive thoughts, and depressive symptoms.
IPT therapy focuses on the present trying to relieve current symptoms by improving interpersonal skills and functions. Addressing current issues people are facing, and tries to change their current thoughts and focuses on providing hope and support.
Hypothesis:
With awareness, early intervention, and programs in place to support the community, suicide and substance abuse rates of Native Alaskan people will decrease.
The Behavioral Choice Theory, also known as the William Glasser Choice Theory, emphasizes that individuals have control over their own feelings and actions. This demonstrates that all behavior is chosen.
This method concentrates on past behaviors and can train addicts to recognize what their "triggers" are and how to avoid them in the future.
Reality Therapy is a problem-solving approach which focuses on creating an awareness that one's current behaviors are ineffective, and then developing a plan to change it.
Many times an addict will turn to harmful substances as a coping mechanism (feelings affecting behavior).
Suicidal thoughts emerge from outside influences promoting the idea that death can offer an escape and is directly correlated with feelings of loneliness and social alienation.
"Modeled behavior" refers to when individuals imitate other people's behaviors by direct observation.
Social Cognitive Therapy provides opportunities for social support through instilling expectations, self-efficacy, and using observational learning and other reinforcements to achieve behavior change.
Treatment should account for influences of Native Alaskan culture and their traditional healing approach as part of a treatment plan.
The Interpersonal Psychological Theory states that a person will not die by suicide unless they have both the desire and the ability to do so.
The Social Cognitive Theory explains how individual experiences, the actions of others, and environmental factors all affect individual health behaviors.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on solving problems by changing the way people think and behave. A large part of this therapy process is teaching clients to "become their own therapist".