Suicide Attempts Among Racial and Ethnic Groups in a Nationally Representative Sample

Abstract

Objective Evaluate suicide attempt prevalence and potentially related sociodemographic and psychiatric factors among racial and ethnic groups. Methods Between 2012 and 2013, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) conducted semi-structured interviews with 36,309 adults in the USA. We identified lifetime suicide attempt prevalence and significant predictors for each racial/ethnic group using stratified logistic regressions. Analyses were exploratory without a priori hypotheses. Results Asian/Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander and Black individuals had the lowest prevalence of suicide attempts while Alaska Native/American Indian and White individuals had the highest prevalence. Identifying as female and meeting criteria for psychiatric diagnoses featuring mood regulation difficulties (depression, borderline personality disorder, bipolar I disorder) were consistently related to a suicide attempt history across racial and ethnic groups, whereas substance abuse disorders and other sociodemographic factors differed between racial and ethnic groups in their associations with suicide attempt history. Conclusions Although several factors were consistently related to suicide risk across racial and ethnic groups, the prevalence of suicide attempts and overall pattern of related factors were not uniform between racial and ethnic groups. Policy Implications Study findings highlight the importance of considering suicide risk within the context of race and ethnicity both regarding the overall prevalence of risk and in determining personal factors associated with elevated risk. A failure to appreciate experiences related to race and ethnicity may adversely impact suicide risk assessment and treatment, ultimately contributing to health disparities. Results suggest that additional research is warranted.

The association between community-level economic deprivation and incidences of emergency department visits on account of attempted suicides in Maryland

“…In addition, the study period coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic, with studies showing a reduction in emergency department visits for suicide attempts (24-26). The study found that younger females had the highest incidence of emergency department visits for attempted suicide, consistent with other studies (8,(27)(28)(29). In contrast to Ivey-Stephenson et al ( 30), this study found the highest incidence of emergency department visits for attempted suicides among patients with private insurance.…”

The effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine on suicidal behavior: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis

“…[ 5 ] In addition to diagnosed mental illnesses, adverse childhood experiences, feelings of hopelessness, and diathesis (the tendency to experience suicidal ideation and act on suicidal feelings) are also associated with suicidal behavior. [ 4 ] Furthermore, inequalities across countries, [ 6 ] regions, [ 7 ] and ethnicities [ 8 ] have also been identified as contributors to suicide mortality.…”

Exploration of Race and Ethnicity, Sex, Sport-Related Concussion, Depression History, and Suicide Attempts in US Youth

“…Racial and ethnic disparities exist in concussion knowledge, 4 care-seeking, 5 reporting, 4 , 6 and management, 7 and racial and ethnic disparities in mental health awareness, incidence of depression, and treatment are well known. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 Sex also plays a moderating role in concussion, depression, and suicide attempts, as female adolescents attempt suicide at significantly higher rates than males while males experience concussion at higher rates than females. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 It is difficult to estimate the rate at which concussions and/or suicide attempts occur for each race and ethnicity because of sample-size limitations of previous studies, differences among racial and ethnic groups in reporting behaviors, and discrepancies in the diagnosis of concussion among races and ethnicities.…”