Mental Disorders of Eskimos Seen at a Community Mental Health Center in Western Alaska

The charts of 343 Eskimos seen at a community mental health center in northwestern Alaska were reviewed, and data on demographic characteristics, DSM-III-R diagnoses, and history of suicide attempts were collected. Substance use disorders were the most common group of mental disorders. Substance use patterns differed substantially according to age and gender. Both children and adults had high rates of attempted suicide (66 percent and 67 percent). Rates of bipolar disorder and eating disorders were substantially lower than those seen in mental health clinics serving the general U.S. population. .