Background: Suicide attempts and deaths among children are increasing in the United States, yet suicide in this preadolescent population remains understudied. A clearer understanding of which youth experience early onset of suicidal behavior is crucial for predicting risk and identifying youth best suited to early intervention. This paper examines how intersectional marginalized identities may predict the onset of suicidal behaviors among preadolescent youth.
Methods: The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a prospective cohort study with annual assessments of youth ages 9 and 10 and their caregivers. Lifetime suicide attempts and preparatory suicidal behaviors were assessed annually. Survival models examined overall trends and demographic differences in the onset of suicidal behaviors.
Results: The final sample included 11,223 participants (mean age = 9.9 years old, SD = 7.5 months). 5,280 (47%) reported a minoritized racial/ethnic identity, and 1,410 (12.6%) were categorized as sexual or gender minorities. 208 suicide attempts and 143 instances of preparatory suicidal behaviors were reported across the study period. An interaction effect was found such that youth who hold multiple minoritized identities (i.e., sexual and gender minority youth from minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds) were at elevated risk for onset of both suicide attempts (HR = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.59-5.56, p = .001) and preparatory suicidal behaviors (b = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.38-6.93, p = .006).
Conclusions: Intersectional marginalized identities were associated with earlier onset of suicide attempts and preparatory suicidal behaviors. Findings suggest that early interventions for minoritized youth may be important to reduce the rapidly increasing suicide rate among preadolescent youth.
Keywords: BIPOC; LGBTQ+; Suicide; youth.
© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.