Honors Program Capstone Defense for Emily Donahue

Honors Program senior student, Emily Donahue, will be presenting her Honors Capstone titled, Understanding Suicide in the Navajo Population , on Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:00pm in Schar 203.

Donahue's abstract reads, "Suicide is the second leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.  The suicide rate for the Navajo population is more than double the national rate, which indicates suicide is a significant problem on the Navajo Reservation. The objective of this qualitative research was to glean insight about suicide in the Navajo population. This study used a convenience purposive sampling method. After approval from the university human subjects review board, eight informants who previously lived or worked on the Navajo Reservation were interviewed. Informants are individuals with exposure and/or experience with suicide on the Navajo reservation. The approximate length of interviews was thirty minutes. Narrative data from the interviews was transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis technique to identify emerging themes pertaining to perceptions about Navajo suicide. The researcher and the faculty mentor individually and together reviewed the data for key words, phrases, and then themes. Data was then additionally reviewed by a doctorally prepared reviewer with a final comparison as a cross check. Themes noted were hopelessness, social issues, and culture. Findings from this research project will improve understanding about perception of the problem, knowledge of existing mental health services, and cultural aspects important to the Navajo population that should be considered in interventions and education about suicide prevention."

Emily Donahue was born in Mansfield, Ohio on August 17, 1995. She grew up in the Mansfield area, graduating from Shelby Senior High School in 2013. At Ashland University, Emily is an honors baccalaureate nursing student at the Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and Alpha Lambda Delta. Emily is a participant of the Navajo Cultural Immersion course and has traveled to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona twice for a week long immersion. This experience has helped her broaden her intellectual and social horizons, and expanded her knowledge of working with diverse populations. Most recently, Emily has disseminated her Honors Capstone research findings at a regional scholarly meeting and a national nursing conference. Additionally, Emily serves as a peer mentor for both the Honors Program and Nursing Program, works part-time as an academic tutor and a patient care assistant, and has been on the Dean's List for seven semesters. Upon graduation, Emily plans to work as a registered nurse, pursuing a career in critical care nursing. Emily also plans on attending graduate school in the future.

Professor Sharon See, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing, served as Donahue's mentor for the project.


All are invited and encouraged to attend.