Abstract

Are Mexican American Adolescents at Greater Risk of Suicidal Behaviors?

Roberts R E~~Roberts C R~~Xing Y

Year: 2007 Source: Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, v.37, no.1, (February 2007), p.10-21 SIEC No: 20070629

A reexamination of ethnicity as a risk factor for adolescent suicidal behaviour was done in a sample of 4175 African, European, & Mexican Americans, age 11-17. Lifetime attempts & past year attempts, thoughts, & plans were studied. Odds ratios, adjusting for covariates, indicate no differences between European & Mexican Americans on past year thoughts, plans, attempts, or lifetime attempts. This study did not find any factors which placed Mexican American youth at increased risk. Possible explanations for the disparate results across studies are discussed. (76 refs.)