Advancing prevention research on the role of culture in suicide prevention

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008 Jun;38(3):354-62. doi: 10.1521/suli.2008.38.3.354.

Abstract

Despite evidence of considerable racial/ethnic variation in adolescent suicidal behavior in the United States, research on youth of European American descent accounts for much of what is know about preventing adolescent suicide. In response to the need to advance research on the phenomenology and prevention of suicidal behavior among ethnic minority populations, NIMH co-sponsored the "Pragmatic Considerations of Culture in Preventing Suicide" workshop to elicit through interdisciplinary dialogue how culture can be considered in the design, development, and implementation of suicidal behavior prevention programs. In this discussion paper we consider the three ethnic minority suicide prevention efforts described in the articles appearing in this issue, along with workshop participants' comments, and propose six major areas where issues of culture need to be better integrated into suicidal behavior research.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acculturation
  • Adolescent
  • Culture*
  • Ethnicity / psychology
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Promotion / methods
  • Health Services Research / methods*
  • Humans
  • Minority Groups / psychology
  • Minority Groups / statistics & numerical data
  • Models, Psychological
  • Prejudice
  • Preventive Health Services / methods*
  • Preventive Health Services / organization & administration
  • Psychology, Adolescent
  • Research Design
  • Risk Factors
  • Stereotyping
  • Suicide / psychology
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data
  • Suicide Prevention*
  • United States / epidemiology