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Poster #55 - Distress, neuroticism, and perceived discrimination predict greater odds of endorsing suicidality in Mexican origin youth

Sat, March 23, 2:30 to 3:45pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death during childhood and adolescence, whereas it is the tenth leading cause of death among all age groups (CDC, 2017). The lifetime age of onset for suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors typically occurs before young adulthood (Kessler, Borges, & Walters, 1999), making adolescence an increasingly high-risk developmental period for psychopathology. In a recent national survey examining youth risk behaviors, the prevalence of having seriously considered attempting suicide was higher among female than male students, and even higher among Hispanic females than White females (Kann et al., 2018). Although depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and negative emotionality are known correlates of an increased risk for suicide (Enns, Cox, & Inayatulla, 2003), little is known about how these emotional processes mediate suicidality in typically developing Mexican origin youth. Given the current political climate in the United States, it is critical to understand the experience of Latinx teens, as past research has demonstrated that perceived societal discrimination is linked to increases in internalizing symptoms (Behnke, Plunkett, Sands, & Bamaca-Colbert, 2011), making these youth exceptionally high risk. Current Study: Using data from a multi-year longitudinal study, this report examined associations between several types of internalizing symptoms (e.g., depressive symptoms, neuroticism, anxiety, anxious arousal), personal experiences with racial discrimination, family conflict, and suicidality (i.e., thoughts, plans, actions) in 604 Mexican origin adolescents aged 13- to 16-years-old (M = 14.27, SD = .53; 50% female). The data were collected using face-to-face interviews in participants’ homes in either English or Spanish, depending on the preference of the participant. All measures were self-report. Results: Preliminary analyses showed significant associations between suicidality and participant gender, various internalizing symptoms (e.g., general distress depressive symptoms, anxious arousal, anxiety), neuroticism, and perceived racial discrimination. Logistic regression analyses that adjusted for age, socioeconomic status (measured by an income-to-needs ratio), demonstrated that being female was significantly associated with an increased odds of endorsing suicidal thoughts, plans, or past attempts, x2(3) = 11.75, p < .01. Given gender has been shown to be a significant moderator of suicidality, it was controlled for in subsequent logistic regression analyses. Higher levels of neuroticism (x2(4) = 16.59, p < .01), general distress depressive symptoms (x2(4) = 16.00, p < .01), and personal experiences with discrimination (x2(4) = 14.97, p < .01) all independently and significantly increased odds of endorsing suicidal thoughts, plans or actions. Surprisingly, family conflict was not significantly associated with an increased odds of suicidality, in contrast to past findings (Kuhlberg, Peña, & Zayas, 2010). Conclusion: To date, there has been very little research based on prospective longitudinal data with annual assessments across the adolescent years, and even less research with Latinx youths. Internalizing symptoms and perceived discrimination are associated with a heightened risk for suicidality, especially in adolescent Mexican origin females. Suicide is preventable and given the feasibility of self-report measures and screening tools, it is imperative that researchers and clinicians alike continue to explore ways to further research and improve interventions.

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