Post-Bacc Research Assistant National Institute of Mental Health Rockville, Maryland, United States
Background: Suicide is a major public health concern and second leading cause of death among youth ages 12-17 years. There are significant racial disparities in suicide rates, with highest rates among American Indian/Alaska Natives and increasing rates among Black youth. Previous research has identified connection to family as a strong protective factor against suicide. However, given the stigma surrounding mental health in some communities, it is unclear how family connectedness functions differently across racial groups. Few studies have described the link between suicide risk and family connectedness among minoritized youth. Objective: Describe suicide risk and family connectedness within different racial groups and evaluate how race moderates the association between suicide risk and family connectedness. Design/Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Emergency Department Screen for Teens at risk for Suicide study 1, which included the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ). Participants ages 12-17 years who completed demographics, ASQ, and a Likert scale question on family connectedness (“How much do people in your family understand you?”) were included in the analysis. Binary logistic regression assessed the relationship between family connectedness and positive suicide risk screens, with race as a moderator. Results: Data were analyzed from 5331 participants (58.3% Female, 41.3% Non-white/Hispanic, mean age [SD] = 14.93 years [1.64]). On a scale of 1 to 5, 67.1% of participants reported that their family understood them 4 (quite a bit) or 5 (very much). Overall, 21.7% of participants screened positive for suicide risk. Comparing racial groups, Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) had the highest percentages of a 4 or 5 for family connectedness and the highest suicide risk positive rate (23.1%). Family connectedness had a significant negative association with suicide risk for Black youth compared to White youth (b = -0.86, z = 3.24, p = 0.001). No significant interaction was found for other racial groups compared to White participants (p > 0.05).
Conclusion(s): Family connectedness was protective against screening positive for suicide risk, with race having a significant role in this relationship. Compared to White youth, Black youth with stronger family connectedness were less likely to screen positive for suicide risk. AANHPI youth had the highest suicide risk positive rate, despite reporting strong family connectedness. More research is needed on family connectedness with a more racially diverse sample to better understand the relationship between race, family and suicide risk.
