Ethnic-specific risk factors appear to affect suicidality.(BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS)

SAN FRANCISCO -- There maybe ethnic- and sex-specific risk factors in youth suicidality that could inform the design of culturally influenced suicide prevention, a study of 648 Mexican and European American adolescents suggested.

Consistent with previous data, the study found high rates of suicidality and associations between friendship problems and suicidality. The current study also showed, however, that the associations differ by ethnicity and sex, Erin Winterrowd reported in a poster presentation at the annual conference of the American Society of Suicidology.

For Mexican American girls, having friends who were disconnected from school was associated with suicidal ideation. For European American girls and boys, friends' delinquency was related to suicidal behavior, said Ms. Winterrowd of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, and her associates.

The cohort of youths aged 14-20 years came from two midsized, urban Southwestern communities and was 52% Mexican American and 51% female. Academically, 38% were school dropouts, 31% were at risk of dropping out, and 31% were in good academic standing. The subgroups of Mexican American and European American youths were matched by sex, age, and grade.

Overall, 32% reported suicidal ideation and 11% reported nonfatal suicidal behavior in the past year. Suicidality (ideation or behavior) was higher in Mexican American youth (32%) than in European American youth (12%).

Both suicidal ideation and behavior were higher in girls (especially Mexican American girls), compared with boys. Every 1-unit increase in friends" school disconnectedness (friends who were less connected to school) increased the risk of a girl's suicidal ideation by 20%. Every unit increase in friends' delinquency (more delinquent friends) increased the risk of suicidal behavior in girls by 28% and in boys by 52%, Ms. Winterrowd reported.

For both Mexican American and European American participants, other risk factors for suicidality included youth, depression, low family support, anger, and substance use. In addition, physical abuse and low self-esteem were risk factors for Mexican American teens, and delinquency and sexual abuse were risk factors for suicidality in European Americans.

"If confirmed, our findings have implications for the design of culturally grounded models of suicide prevention," she said.

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