The relationship of drug use to suicide ideation and attempts among African American, Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic male adolescents

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1993 Summer;23(2):110-9.

Abstract

This study presents self-report cross-sectional and longitudinal data on associations between drug use, suicide ideation, and attempts in a multiethnic sample of seventh- and eighth-grade male adolescents attending school in the greater Miami, Florida, area. African Americans had the highest prevalence of 6-month ideation (20.5%), and Haitians had the highest attempts (11.4%). For the total sample, tranquilizers had the highest odds ratio for ideation (3.4), and PCP for attempts (6.2). Psychoactive drug-use was consistently related to attempts among Hispanics, white non-Hispanics, and African Americans. Acculturation strains interacted with cocaine and crack to predict suicide attempts among Hispanic respondents.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acculturation
  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Ethnicity / psychology*
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Psychology, Adolescent
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Suicide / psychology
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data*
  • Suicide, Attempted / prevention & control
  • Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data
  • White People / psychology*