Perceived Burdensomeness, Familism, and Suicidal Ideation Among Mexican Women: Enhancing Understanding of Risk and Protective Factors

The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide & a culturally-relevant construct, familism, was used to examine predictors of suicide ideation among Mexican & Mexican American women in the United States. A sense of perceived burdensomeness toward others was expected to significantly predict suicide ideation, especially among women who endorsed high levels of familism. 73 outpatients completed self-report measures & an interview measure of suicide ideation. Main & interactive effects of perceived burdensomeness & familism were examined. Perceived burdensomeness, but no familism, significantly predicted suicide ideation. The interaction hypothesis was not supported. (54 refs.) JA