Factors precipitating suicide attempts vary across race

Abstract

Objective

Although research has identified interpersonal, intrapersonal, and achievement-related factors that precipitate suicide attempts (SAs), how these factors vary by race/ethnicity is unknown. We examined racial/ethnic differences in SA precipitants in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of young adults (YAs) with a SA history.

Method

Two-hundred twenty-nine young adults, ages 18–33 (87% women), reported their method of attempt, and 200 of those reported on their SA precipitants. The latter were coded by three independent judges (Data were collected March 2012–December 2016.).

Results

SAs were most often precipitated by intrapersonal factors, followed by interpersonal factors. Logistic regressions revealed that Hispanic, Asian, and Biracial YAs had higher odds of reporting interpersonal precipitants compared to Black YAs.

Conclusion

Suicide prevention and intervention should address both interpersonal and intrapersonal factors that increase vulnerability to SA across racial/ethnic groups, although interventions with Black YAs might focus more on intrapersonal than on interpersonal factors.

Keywords:

• Ethnicity
• precipitants
• race
• suicide attempts

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported NIH Grant GM 060665.