Since the inception of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance system of U.S. high schools in 1991 called the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), Hispanic youth have consistently reported among the highest rates of suicidal behavior of any major ethnic/racial groups including African Americans and Whites. Rates for suicide attempts are higher for U.S.-born Hispanic youth compared to their foreign-born counterparts suggesting that processes related to acculturation or immigration may be related to suicidal behaviors among Hispanics. However, the exact nature of these mechanisms remains to be understood in part because of lack of knowledge regarding suicide attempt rates, risk factors, and protective factors from Hispanic youth's countries of heritage. Our study will increase scientific knowledge of socio-cultural factors related to suicidal behaviors among D.R. youth and how they compare to their Dominican counterparts in NYC. We propose to survey a nationally representative sample of Dominican youth (N H 6,000) attending public secondary schools (grades 9 to 12) across the D.R. and estimate their rates of suicide attempts and ideation (Aim 1 of study). Pending availability of funds, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has also agreed to collect data on ancestry on the 2009 NYC YRBSS which will allow us to identify a representative sample of Dominican youth attending NYC public high schools as a U.S. based comparison group (N H 1,229). Comparisons of suicide attempts, suicide ideation, and related risk behaviors will be made between D.R. youth and NYC Dominicans (Aim 3).
Aim 2 of our study is to identify identify risk factors (e.g. family conflict, substance use, alcohol use, hopelessness, and violent related behaviors) and protective factors (e.g. family cohesion, familismo, and religiosity) for suicidal ideation and attempts among the youth of the D.R. As per PA-07-079, NIMH's PA-07-079, Research on the Reduction and Prevention of Suicidality, encourages research into """"""""the role of cultural factors and acculturative processes that can modify risk and its perception as well as influencing protective factors."""""""" Our study will advance this research agenda.
Project Narrative Prevention of suicide attempts among adolescents has been identified as an urgent priority, and Hispanic youth have consistently reported among the highest rates of suicidal behavior of any major ethnic/racial groups including African Americans and Whites. Rates for suicide attempts are higher for U.S.-born Hispanic youth compared to their foreign-born counterparts suggesting that processes related to acculturation or immigration may be related to suicide risk among Hispanics. However, the exact nature of these mechanisms remains to be understood in part because of lack of knowledge regarding suicide attempt rates, risk factors, and protective factors from Hispanic youth's countries of heritage
| Peña, Juan B; Masyn, Katherine E; Thorpe, Lorna E et al. (2016) A Cross-National Comparison of Suicide Attempts, Drug Use, and Depressed Mood Among Dominican Youth. Suicide Life Threat Behav 46:301-12 |
| Pena, Juan B; Zayas, Luis H; Cabrera-Nguyen, Peter et al. (2012) US cultural involvement and its association with suicidal behavior among youths in the Dominican Republic. Am J Public Health 102:664-71 |
| Peña, Juan B; Kuhlberg, Jill A; Zayas, Luis H et al. (2011) Familism, family environment, and suicide attempts among Latina youth. Suicide Life Threat Behav 41:330-41 |
