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Abstract #159390

Leigh A. Willis, PhD, MPH¹, David W. Coombs, PhD, MPH², John Bolland, PhD³, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, MPA, MSSW⁴, and Anna Hines-Capron². (1) Department of Sociology, The University of Georgia, 315 Baldwin Hall, Department of Sociology, Athens, GA 30602-1611, (2) Department of Health Behavior, The University of Alambama, Birmingham, School of Public Health, 227 Ryals Building, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, (3) School of Public Health/Department of Health Behavior, Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, RPHB, Birmingham, AL 35294, (4) Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1884-G Cahaba Road, Birmigham, AL 35223, 205-253-9900, annelizabethmontgomery@gmail.com

Typically, African-Americans are thought to be insulated from suicide however, recent data indicates that the rates of suicide among African-American adolescents have dramatically increased. Despite this alarming increase not much is known about the correlates of African-American Adolsecent suicide. This is largely because the relationship between suicidality and developmental process has not been studied in general let alone among African-American adolescents. The focus of this study is the degree to which suicidal ideation and it's correlates—risk and protective factors—change through early, middle and late adolescence. To explore this is we examine developmental changes in both individuals and groups. Data from the Mobile Youth Survey (MYS) a sample of Low-Income, African-American, adolescents in Mobile, AL, ages 9-19 are analyzed. Longitudinal, latent growth curve analysis will be performed. Variables of interest are hopelessness,alcohol and drug use, family structure, sexual behavior, self-esteem, peer influence and violence and victimization.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about how correlates of suicidal behavior among adolescent African-Americans changes during adolescence. Both risk and protective factors will be described for will be identified and implications for developing interventions will be presented.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered