Risk factors for suicidal behavior among Hispanic, African-American, and non-Hispanic white boys in early adolescence

Using survey data from a longitudinal study of adolescents (n = 6760) in Miami, Florida, we assessed prevalence and risk factors for suicide ideation and attempts among a sample of Cuban-American, Nicaraguan, other Hispanic, African-American, and non-Hispanic white 6th- and 7th-grade boys. The results indicated that African-American boys had the highest level of suicide ideation (19.2%) during the past 6 months and that Nicaraguans and other Hispanics had the highest levels of lifetime suicide attempts (7.8%). The risk factor analyses indicated a differential distribution of risk factors by ethnic-racial subsamples, with blacks scoring higher than the other subsamples. Cumulative risk factors were related to increased suicidal ideation and attempts in all subsamples. However, the highest percentage of attempts among boys with eight or more risk factors was among other Hispanics (56.9%), and the lowest percentage was among non-Hispanic white boys (21.7%). An odds ratio analysis predicting attempts indicated that depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, and teacher and parent derogation were relatively higher for African-American and Hispanic subsamples, and deviancy-delinquency was relatively higher for non-Hispanic whites. High acculturation was associated with higher levels of suicide attempts in the three Hispanic subsamples (P < .05).