A protocol for collaborative research to understand protection, recovery, and resilience after youth suicide attempt in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Abstract

Abstract This article presents a PhD protocol for an Indigenous-led qualitative study exploring protective factors and recovery processes among Indigenous Kalaallit Inuit (Greenlandic Inuit) youth in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) following suicide attempts. The majority of the population in Kalaallit Nunaat is Indigenous Kalaallit Inuit. The study is grounded in Kalaallit Inuit values and inspired by selected principles of community-based participatory research. Thirty interviews will be conducted in Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) across five regions through in-person and online modalities, as structured through a culturally and linguistically grounded interview guide. The project centers the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us,” emphasizing community ownership, language-based access, and reciprocal accountability. The project methodologically explores the feasibility of trauma-informed, trust-based interviewing in small Arctic communities and investigates the importance of spirituality, land, and cultural revitalization in healing. In addition to methodological and thematic insights the project aims at creating a transferable model for ethical, community-engaged suicidology in Arctic Indigenous contexts. Thematic findings will be published in forthcoming articles. As this article presents a PhD protocol, no empirical findings are reported. The manuscript describes the study rationale, Indigenous theoretical foundations, methodology, ethical considerations, planned analyses, and dissemination strategy guiding the doctoral project.