Substance use, mental health, and health in Alaska: emphasis on Alaska Native peoples.

Abstract

It has always been a problem in Alaska to obtain a compilation of accurate and current data with regard to mental health, health, and substance abuse. This paper was designed to pull together different sources of data to present a comprehensive perspective on the substance use, mental health, and health problems facing Alaskans today. The article summarizes the most current substance abuse, mental health, and health data available for the State of Alaska from public, academic, and institutional sources. It emphasizes data relevant to Alaska Native groups, calling for improved efforts in the future to collect data according to ethnicity and gender. The data presented identify a number of significant substance use and mental health problems that are prevalent in Alaska, providing geographic and ethnic data wherever available.