 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Lynne Fullerton-Gleason, PhD1, Michelle Chino, PhD2, Karen Gaylord, ABD3, and G. Thomas Shires, MD1. (1) Trauma Institute, University of Nevada School of Medicine, 2040 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 501, Las Vegas, NV 89102, 702-671-2276, lfullerton@salud.unm.edu, (2) UNLV Center for American Indian Research and Education, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 45-3030, Las Vegas, NV 89154-3030, (3) New Mexico Department of Health, PO BOX 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502
Purpose: To identify factors related to suicide attempts among New Mexico Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and non-Hispanic White students in grades 6 through 12. Method: Variables significantly associated with suicide attempts for the entire sample were calculated previously. Rate ratios compared prevalences of each variable among those with, and without, a history of suicide attempts, stratified by race/ethnicity. Results: The strongest suicide risk factor was feeling that life had no purpose, with high rate ratios for all three groups: Anglo (RR=6.0) than Hispanic (RR=4.8) or AI/AN (RR=3.0) schoolchildren. Other risk factors included: depression (RR=2.4, 3.2, 4.2), being assaulted (RR=3.0, 2.6, 2.7), and cocaine use (RR=2.1, 2.3, 2.3). Protective factors included receiving parental help (RR=0.38, 0.27, 0.26), and feeling important in the family (RR=0.42, 0.30, 0.25) (p<.0001 for all comparisons). Multivariate modeling indicated the following risk and protective variables: AI/AN: feeling life has no purpose, fear of assault at home, having neighbors who tell parents about misbehavior; Hispanic: feeling life has no purpose, depression, group fighting, helpful parents, caring teachers; Anglo: feeling life has no purpose, caring teachers, parents who are upset when teens drink, and feeling in control of their lives. Conclusions: Suicide prevention efforts should target students’ personal values and experiences of violence; school factors such as having clear rules and teachers who make students feel cared about; and, family/home variables such as students feeling useful at home, and feeling their parents will help them. Race/ethnic-specific screening tools and interventions are warranted.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Suicide, Adoption
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.