The study focused on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) high-school students in New Mexico to understand the impact of social support (SS) on the relationship between opioid misuse and suicide attempt.
Data from the NM Youth Resiliency and Risk Survey (2009-2019) were analyzed using statistical methods to explore this association. The results showed that 12.0% of AI/AN students reported opioid misuse, while 14.0% reported suicide attempts. High social support was associated with lower odds of suicide attempts among students who misused opioids. This effect was stronger for males than females. Social support was found to be protective in various community settings, including off-reservation, rural, and both rural and off-reservation communities. The study found that social support played a significant role in mediating and moderating the relationship between opioid misuse and suicide attempts among AI/AN students. The mediation effect was lowest for rural, on-reservation schools. The findings suggest the importance of allocating more resources to enhance social support in these settings to promote health and reduce the risk of suicide attempts associated with opioid misuse.