Immigration and Suicidality in the Young

Abstract

W La Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, vol 55, no 5, mai 2010 274Objectives: Little research has focused on the relation of immigration and suicidal behaviour in youth. Nevertheless, the impact of migration on the mental health of youth is an issue of increasing societal importance. This review aimed to present studies on the prevalence of suicidal behaviour in immigrant youth in various countries and to provide possible explanations for suicidal behaviour in immigrant youth, especially regarding acculturation. Methods:The review included a literature search to locate articles on the subject of suicidal behaviour in immigrant youth in the context of acculturation.Results: Studies on suicidal behaviour in culturally diverse youth are few and most of the existing research does not differentiate ethnic minorities from immigrants. Studies on epidemiology and on specific risk factors were found regarding various immigrant youth including Hispanics in the United States, Asians in North America and Europe, as well as comparative studies between different immigrant groups in specific countries. Conclusions:The relation between immigration status and suicidal behaviours in youth appears to vary by ethnicity and country of settlement. Time spent in the new country as well as intergenerational communication and conflicts with parents have, in many of the studies, been related to suicidality in immigrant youth. Summing up, there is a clear and urgent need to further pursue the work in this field, to develop targeted public health interventions as well as psychosocial treatment for preventing suicide in these youth.Can J Psychiatry. 2010;55(5):274-281. Clinical Implications· Studies indicate that immigrant status influences suicide risk in youth and it should be considered in clinical settings. · They also indicate the need for specifically targeting intergenerational conflicts in the context of suicide prevention efforts for young immigrants. · More studies are needed that break down the concept of acculturation into specific factors influencing young immigrants. Limitations· Our review was limited to literature specifically concerning young immigrants' suicidality in the context of their acculturation process. · Studies fail to differentiate ethnic minorities from immigrants, limiting assessment of specific risk factors associating immigration with suicidality in youth. · Relation between level of acculturation and suicidality in different generations of immigrant youth remains unclear in the studies considered.

Suicidal Ideation and Attempt among Immigrants in Europe: A Literature Review

“…Rather, it is the interaction with other factors such as relationship with parents that plays a role in suicidal behavior among immigrant girls. Such suggestion was confirmed by Lipsicas [14]. When they found that familial problems were the most frequently reported factor for suicidal behavior among immigrant women.…”

“…Female immigrants appear to be at a much higher risk for suicide attempt and suicidal ideation than male immigrants [25]. This was found in studies conducted in non-European countries as well [14]. What is of more interest is that female immigrants across countries relate their suicidality to familial problems.…”

“…As hypothesized, the longer the duration of residence, the less likely immigrants were to commit suicide. Other studies revealed that familial problems, psychiatric disorders, issues related to migration, socio demographic variables and barriers for help-seeking are all factors that make immigrants at a much higher risk for suicide than their co-inhabitants [14]. Similarly immigrants have socioeconomically disadvantage compared to the host population [18].…”

Association between Suicide Ideation and Attempts and Being an Immigrant among Adolescents, and the Role of Socioeconomic Factors and School, Behavior, and Health-Related Difficulties

“…While research has showed that certain immigrant groups have a lower risk of suicide behaviors than the majority population [6,7,9], our results agreed with certain studies which have found that immigrant adolescents had a higher risk and that poor family environment, lack of parental support, not living with both parents, substance use, physical and sexual abuse, and poor mental health play strong confounding roles [6,10,11,20,48,49]. Some studies reported that the risk of suicide ideation was higher among adolescents who have family problems or difficulties in relationships with parents [6,8,9,11,48,49]. The children of immigrants often reach a higher level of acculturation and education than their parents, contributing to intergenerational conflict, decreased understanding, and closeness between children and parents [6,50].…”

“…The literature is abundant for adults but rather scarce for adolescents. According to a review of literature, little research has focused on suicide behaviors in immigrant youth, most research does not differentiate ethnic minorities, and the risk of suicide behaviors varies by ethnicity and country of settlement [8]. The available studies have reported that various immigrant groups can be at an increased or lower risk of suicide behaviors than the majority population [6,7,9].…”