Cultural Identification and Attempted Suicide in Native Hawaiian Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 181597
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 39 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 360-367
• Author(s): Noelle Y. Yuen M.D.; Linda B. Nahulu M.D.; Earl S. Hishinuma Ph.D.; Robin H. Miyamoto Ph.D.
• Editor(s): Mina K. Dulcan M.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): RR3061-06S1; 1 R24 MH50151-01
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health; National Ctr on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study determined rates of lifetime suicide attempts in a community sample of Native Hawaiian adolescents and explored the contribution of Hawaiian cultural affiliation, socioeconomic status, and psychiatric symptoms as risk factors for suicide.

Abstract

The study was part of the Native Hawaiian Mental Health Research Development Program. High school students were surveyed for lifetime suicide attempts, cultural affiliation, and socioeconomic status and for symptoms of depression, substance abuse, aggression, and anxiety. The sample included 4,182 students in grades 9 through 12 from 5 high schools who were surveyed during the 1993-1994 school year. About 60 percent of these students participated in the study. Native Hawaiian adolescents had significantly higher rates of suicide attempts (12.9 percent) than other adolescents in Hawaii (9.6 percent). Hawaiian cultural affiliation rather than ethnicity was uniquely predictive of suicide attempts. Logistic regression analysis indicated that depression, substance abuse, grade level, cultural affiliation, and main wage earner's education best predicted suicide attempts by Native Hawaiian adolescents, while depression, substance abuse, and aggression predicted suicide attempts in non-Hawaiians. 28 references and 3 tables