title: Social integration and suicide-related ideation from a social network perspective: a longitudinal study among inner-city African Americans.
abstract: Social network density, as measured by the extent to which network members know each other, was examined to determine whether it is associated with suicide-related ideation and plan approximately 3 years later. Eight hundred and nineteen African Americans were interviewed at Wave 1 (1997-1999) and Wave 4 (2001-2003) of the Self-Help In Eliminating Life-Threatening Diseases (SHIELD) study, a HIV preventive intervention study in Baltimore, MD. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to compare risks of suicide-related ideation and plan at Wave 4 by Wave 1 density. Even after adjusting for baseline sociodemographic characteristics and depressive symptoms, individuals with a lower level of density were three times more likely to report suicide-related ideation and plan in the past year at Wave 4. The findings reinforce the importance of social integration among inner-city African Americans from a social network perspective. Future research should examine the mechanisms associated with this relationship and other social network constructs.
authors.affiliation: American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, Arlington, VA, USA.
authors.forename: S Janet
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
authors.forename: Holly C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Latkin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D015142:Baltimore; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population