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 characteris tics, DSM-III-R diagnoses, and history of suicide attempts were collec ted. Substance use disorders were the most common group of mental diso rders. Substance use patterns differed substantially according to age and gender. Both children and adults had high rates of attempted suici de (66 percent and 67 percent), gates of bipolar disorder and eating d isorders were substantially lower than those seen in mental health cli nics serving the general U.S. population.