Suicide Rates in Aboriginal Communities in Labrador, Canada

Running head: RESEARCH APPRAISAL
RESEARCH APPRAISAL
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1RESEARCH APPRAISAL
Pollock, N. J., Mulay, S., Valcour, J., & Jong, M. (2016). Suicide rates in Aboriginal
communities in Labrador, Canada. American journal of public health, 106(7), 1309-1315.
1. What is the purpose of the
research study?
The aim of the study is to conduct a comparison study on the suicide
rate in Aboriginal communities in Labrador that included Innu,
Southern Inuit and Inuit, which was compared with the general
population of Newfoundland in Canada.
2. Conduct an initial critical appraisal
of the research report (Refer to
Grove and Gray p. 55 or 64)
What type of quantitative or
qualitative study was conducted?
Provide a rationale or evidence from
the study.
Identify the sections of the report.
(Introduction, Methods, Results and
Discussion)
Note any missing sections or issues
Was the study design appropriate for
the study?
Provide rationale as to why or why
not
In this study, a quantitative method was used for conducting it with
optimal efficiency. Hammersley (2017) opined that the quantitative
method involves the scientific method of observation that involve
numeric data that is used for testing with the help of statistical tools.
From the research, it was found that during the initial planning phase,
consultations with youth, elderly, mental health and community
workers, government decision-makers and primary care clinicians for
gaining the in-depth knowledge. Data from Canada’s Vital Statistics
Death Database was used.
The article contains all the vital sections that are Introduction,
Methods, Results and Discussion that were detailed and provided
sufficient information for the audience to an understanding of the
suicide rate among the indigenous people of Canada.
The study design was appropriate as the trial methodology and
statistical analysis were organised in nature and, thus, ensure that the
objective of the study was achieved (Kooijman et al., 2016).

2RESEARCH APPRAISAL
Identify the steps in the research
study? (Research problem and
purpose, review of relevant literature,
study framework, research
objectives, questions or hypothesis,
study variables, study design,
population and sample, measurement
methods, data collection, data
analysis, discussion of research
outcomes)
Note any missing steps of the
research process.
The primary step that was used in this study was to offer a
generalised background about suicide that leads to the formulation of
the purpose of the study and identification of the research problem.
The research provided a great depth in terms of Literature review that
helped in gaining background information about the topic and its
impact on society. The study was conducted in collaboration with
Aboriginal communities; thus, a population-based study was initiated
for understanding the suicide mortality in Labrador. The quantitative
data were obtained from the Vital Statistics Death Database and
community-engagement. Results and discussion sections that
effectively highlighted the results without any bias followed this
(Fletcher, 2017). Thus, it can be stated that it is a valid and reliable
study based on the suicide rate of the Aboriginal communities in
Canada. There were no missing steps in the process. Therefore, it can
be stated that systematic and scientific methods were applied in
conducting the research in a sequential manner focusing on gaining
maximum outputs (Colorafi & Evans, 2016). However, an in-depth
Literature Review section, which is found in some of the studies, is
missing.
3. Describe the methods used in the
research study.
A population-based study on understanding the pattern of suicide
mortality was conducted from the response of communities on the
local context. During the planning process, the consultation was done
upon various people that included young people, older people, care
workers, clinicians and policymakers to understand the priorities of
stakeholders. In the institutional review, the quantitative data

3RESEARCH APPRAISAL
obtained from Canada’s Vital Statistics Death Database for analysing
suicide mortality data from 1993 to 2009 and Canada’s Census
division geographic unit was used for determining sub-regional
population data (Pollock et al., 2016). The sub-region of the
Aboriginal population includes Innu, Inuit and Southern Inuit
communities that were compared with the population of
Newfoundland. The use of statistical analysis was used for estimation
and analysing the data.
4. Discuss the findings. From the outcome, it was found that there is a disparity in the suicide
rate among the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in
Labrador. The highest rate was obtained in the case of Innu and Inuit
communities. Moreover, it can be inferred that the suicide rate was
higher in Labrador than Newfoundland (Pollock et al., 2016).
Another important finding was that the rate of suicide was higher in
the case of males than females in Inuit communities. However, there
was a disparity in the rate that can be quantified because of several
factors associated with it. Thus, an unbiased result stated the fact
obtained after statistical analysis and helped in informing the
audience about the facts (Deeks et al., 2019).
5. Discuss the implications for
nursing practice
From the result, it can be stated that there is a significance of it in the
healthcare sector, explicitly can be implied in the nursing practice.
There is an immediate response need to be provided to the aboriginal
communities in Canada for addressing the socio-economic issues
faced by them and offer a nursing intervention that includes
consultation session for mitigating the issue at the mental level. This

4RESEARCH APPRAISAL
will help in reducing the mortality rate due to suicide. As per the
result, the result persisted in all age groups; thus, it is important to
cover all the age groups (Façanha, Santos & Cutcliffe, 2016).
Moreover, the social, psychological and emotional aspects of the
patients, as well as the background information, need to be evaluated
that will help in assessing the issue and identification of the persisting
problem among this group of people that lead to a high level of
suicide. Based on this, appropriate nursing strategies can be applied
that will help in addressing the issue in an effective manner
(Glodstein et al., 2018).
6. Using the PICO format, develop a
research question for nursing practice
that builds on the research from your
chosen research report.
Population- Aboriginal communities in Canada, this includes
specifically Innu, Inuit and Southern Inuit communities in Labrador
where the suicide mortality is significantly high
Intervention- The establishment of a comprehensive strategy for
preventing suicide based on Pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy
Comparison- This involves no interventional strategy among the
target population to address the issue of the high rate of suicide
Outcome- The relevant result is to reduce the suicide mortality rate
among the aboriginal communities in Canada by 10%
The research question formulated based on the PICO format is:
Is the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for preventing
suicide in the Aboriginal communities in Canada effective?

5RESEARCH APPRAISAL
References
Colorafi, K. J., & Evans, B. (2016). Qualitative descriptive methods in health science
research. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 9(4), 16-25.
Deeks, J. J., Higgins, J. P., Altman, D. G., & Cochrane Statistical Methods Group. (2019).
Analysing data and undertaking meta‐analyses. Cochrane handbook for systematic
reviews of interventions, 241-284.
Façanha, J., Santos, J. C., & Cutcliffe, J. (2016). Assessment of suicide risk: validation of the
Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk Index for the Portuguese
population. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 30(4), 470-475.
Fletcher, A. J. (2017). Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology meets
method. International journal of social research methodology, 20(2), 181-194.
Glodstein, S. L., DiMarco, M., Painter, S., & Ramos‐Marcuse, F. (2018). Advanced practice
registered nurses attitudes toward suicide in the 15‐to 24‐year‐old
population. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 54(4), 557-563.
Hammersley, M. (2017). Deconstructing the qualitative-quantitative divide 1. In Mixing
methods: Qualitative and quantitative research (pp. 39-55). Routledge.
Kooijman, M. N., Kruithof, C. J., van Duijn, C. M., Duijts, L., Franco, O. H., van IJzendoorn,
M. H., ... & Moll, H. A. (2016). The Generation R Study: design and cohort update
2017. European Journal of Epidemiology, 31(12), 1243-1264.
Pollock, N. J., Mulay, S., Valcour, J., & Jong, M. (2016). Suicide rates in Aboriginal
communities in Labrador, Canada. American journal of public health, 106(7), 1309-
1315.