Patterns of distress, precipitating events, and reflections on suicide attempts by young Latinas

Abstract

By most epidemiological accounts, young US Latinas attempt suicide more often than other youth. Little is known, however, about the circumstance and internal experiences of the attempts. To understand this phenomenon, we conducted thematic analyses of twenty-seven qualitative interviews with teenage Latinas (aged 11-19) living in New York City who had attempted suicide. Collected between July 2005 and July 2009, the interviews explored the emotional, cognitive and physical experiences of the attempts and the social situations in which they took place. Results show that the girls were divisible nearly equally into a group with a stated intent of death and a group that did not intend death. The pathways to the suicidal event consisted of a pattern of continuous, escalating stress (primarily at home) that created the emotionally combustible conditions for the attempt. A trigger event that either reminded them of past stress or revived feelings of that stress catalyzed the attempt. Guilt and remorse were common responses to the suicide attempts, and on reflection the girls demonstrated some broader perspectives. Results of the analysis clarify the sociocultural context of the suicide attempts, underscoring the cultural discontinuity experienced by adolescent Latinas, who struggle to reconcile traditional Hispanic gender socialization with their own insertion in a modern Western society.

Perspectives des adolescents et jeunes adultes sur le suicide : une méta-synthèse qualitative

“…Le rejet ressenti par ces adolescents suicidants s'appuie le plus souvent sur des éléments de réalité : brimades à l'école, « bullying » [33,[36][37][38], mais aussi discrimination plus largement inscrite au sein de la société. Certaines études montrent ainsi comment le vécu de discrimination des jeunes gays et lesbiennes s'inscrit dans la constellation psychopathologique de leur tentative de suicide [29,39].…”

“…L'autre est d'abord central dans les déclencheurs du geste suicidaire : rupture, conflit, séparation, perte, absence, sont autant d'éléments mis en avant par les adolescents pour expliquer la temporalité du passage à l'acte [30][31][32]35,[37][38][39][41][42][43]55].…”

Identifying Predictors of Instrumental and Reactive Aggression Among Low-Income Minority Adolescent Girls

“…For example, differential patterns of socialization are thought to relate to differences in the rates of aggressive and violent behavior for Latino/Latina adolescents (i.e., Zayas, Gulbas, Fedoravicius & Cabassa, 2010). Latino/Latina adolescents are likely to experience challenges as they negotiate two cultures, each promoting different values that are often in opposition to one another (Smokowski & Bacallao, 2006;Zayas et al, 2010).…”

“…For example, differential patterns of socialization are thought to relate to differences in the rates of aggressive and violent behavior for Latino/Latina adolescents (i.e., Zayas, Gulbas, Fedoravicius & Cabassa, 2010). Latino/Latina adolescents are likely to experience challenges as they negotiate two cultures, each promoting different values that are often in opposition to one another (Smokowski & Bacallao, 2006;Zayas et al, 2010). Conflicting cultural values may place some Latino/Latina adolescents at a heightened risk for developing internalizing and externalizing problems as they may struggle to develop a sense of belonging in either culture (Smokowski & Bacallao, 2006;Smokowski, David-Feron, & Stroupe, 2009;Zayas et al, 2010).…”

“…For example, acculturation is thought to influence the ways in which norms and values are communicated within Latino/Latina families (Zayas et al, 2010), and as such, acculturation might increase risk for aggressive and violent behavior among Latino/Latina youth (Bui & Thongniramol, 2005;Smokowski & Bacallao, 2006;. Future research on aggression must assess elements of ethnic identity and culture for Latina youth and their parents to refine the current understanding of aggressive behavior among diverse populations and the impact of U.S. cultural involvement as a risk factor.…”