Ratings of family functioning of suicidal and nonsuicidal African American women.
This study compared ratings of family functioning between female African American suicide attempters (n = 126) and nonattempters (n = 112). Attempters reported poorer family-of-creation (physical and nonphysical partner abuse, family strengths, and marital adjustment) and family-of-origin (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and emotional neglect) functioning than did controls. In a multivariate logistic regression, only marital discord and childhood sexual abuse were risk factors for suicide attempts. A cumulative risk model was also tested and indicated that the presence of 4 or more of the risk factors increased a woman's likelihood of making a nonfatal suicide attempt more than threefold. This study offers one of the first investigations of the families of suicidal African American women and highlights the importance of focusing on family concerns when working with this population.
Kaslow
N J
NJ
Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Grady Health System, 80 Butler Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30335, USA. nkaslow@emory.edu
Thompson
M P
MP
Brooks
A E
AE
Twomey
H B
HB
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*