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. Based on this background, family-oriented interventions appear to be the most appropriate approach to the prevention and treatment of Hispanic suicidal girls.
Suicide ideation and behavior among U. Hispanics has increased notably in the last decade, especially among youth. Suicide risk increases across generations of Hispanics, with risk greatest amongst U. Acculturative stress has been linked to increased risk for suicide ideation, attempts, and fatalities among Hispanics. Acculturative stress may increase suicide risk via disintegration of cultural values such as familism and religiosity and social bonds. Culturally-tailored prevention efforts are needed that address suicide risk among Hispanics. We propose a conceptual model for suicide prevention focused on augmenting cultural engagement among at risk Hispanics.
Routledge, This text was written by Drs. CSSRC would be happy to train any school mental health provider in using the toolkit but it is not disseminated without training.
This program teaches teens to recognize the signs of depression in themselves and others, challenges existing stigma surrounding depression, and demystifies the treatment process. This program teaches parents how to recognize signs of depression and other mental health problems, initiate a conversation about mental health with their child, and get help. This program teaches educators to recognize signs of mental health distress in students and refer them for help. The program complies with the requirements for teacher education suicide prevention training in many states. Intended for educators and other school personnel, this film covers mental health conditions, the warning signs of suicide, and the steps they can take to get help for at-risk students.