title: Suicidal behavior inLatinas: explanatory cultural factors and implications for intervention.
abstract: We posit that the high rates of suicidal behavior by teenage Hispanic females reported in large-scale surveys can be understood as a cultural phenomenon, a product of specific elements of the history, tradition, ideology, or social norms of a particular society, and that treatment interventions must take family and cultural factors into consideration. For over a decade, surveys have reported that among ethnic and racial minority youth in the United States, Latinas have the highest rates of suicidal behavior compared to African American and non-Hispanic White adolescent females. However, other research shows that the psychological profiles of suicidal Latina adolescent girls and the risk factors for Latina suicidal behavior may not be that different from non-Hispanic suicidal adolescent females. The unique situation of adolescent Latinas involves the convergence of cultural and familial factors (i.e., familism, acculturation, relatedness, autonomy, etc.) with the developmental, social, and individual factors frequently associated with suicidal behaviors. Based on this background, family-oriented interventions appear to be the most appropriate approach to the prevention and treatment of Hispanic suicidal girls. Factors implicated in Latina suicidal behavior and community-based interventions that include the adolescent and her family are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Center for Latino Family Research, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA.
authors.forename: Luis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zayas
authors.forename: Allyson M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pilat
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention