An Ecological Risk-Factor Examination of Suicide Ideation and Behavior of Adolescents

Using an ecological risk-factor approach, this study sought to identify risk factors related to suicidal behavior in a sample of 14,922 adolescents drawn from Michigan. For both African American & European American males, risk factors related to frequent suicidal ideation & suicidal behavior were found at 3 levels of the social ecology: individual, family, & extrafamilial. Related findings among females are discussed & other similarities between the 2 ethnic groups & between males & females were found. (48 refs)