Abstract
Epidemiological data show high rates of suicide attempts among adolescent Latinas. Few studies have addressed the psychosocial, cultural and family correlates of suicide attempts among this age group of a rapidly growing population. The authors studied 31 adolescent Hispanic females who were receiving mental health services; 14 girls had attempted suicide in the previous five years and 17 had never attempted suicide. The two groups of girls did not differ significantly with respect to demographic profiles, levels of depression, family type, acculturation, or self-esteem. However, as hypothesized, the mutuality between girls and their mothers was lower among suicide attempters. Maladaptive coping skills of withdrawal and wishful thinking were more commonly used by attempters, and non-attempters used emotional regulation and problem-solving more frequently. Findings are discussed within the context of the empirical and theoretical literature and implications for practice are considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beck, A.T., Rush, A., & Shaw, E. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.
Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory-II Manual. San Antonia, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Campbell, N.B., Milling. L., Laughlin, A., & Bush, E. (1993). The psychosocial climate of families with suicidal pre-adolescent children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63(1), 142–145.
Canino, G. (1982). Transactional family patterns: A preliminary exploration of Puerto Rican female adolescents. In R.E. Zambrana (Ed.). Work, family and health: Latina women in transition (Monograph No. 6, pp. 27–36). New York: Fordham University, Hispanic Research Center.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1996). Suicide among children, adolescents, and young adults-United States, 1980–1992. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, 44, 289–291.
Debold, E., Wilson, M., & Malavé, I. (1993). Mother daughter revolution. New York: Bantam Books.
Donaldson, D., Prenstein, M., Danovsky, M., & Spirito, A. (2000). Patterns of children's coping with life stress: Implications for clinicians. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70(3), 351–359.
Dornbusch, S.M., Ritter, P.L., Leiderman, P.H., & Fraleigh, M.J. (1987). The relation of parenting style to adolescent school performance. Child Development, 58, 1244–1257.
Fremouw, W., Callahan, T., & Kashden, J. (1993). Adolescent suicidal risk: Psychological, problem solving, and environmental factors. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 23, 46–54.
Genero, N.P., Miller, J.B., Surrey, J., & Baldwin, L.M. (1992). Measuring perceived mutuality in close relationships: Validation of the Mutual Psychological Development Questionnaire. Journal of Family Psychology, 6(1), 36–48.
Gibbs, J.T. (1986). Assessment of depression in urban adolescent females: Implications for early intervention strategies. The American Journal of Social Psychiatry, VI (I), Winter, 50–56.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a Different Voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Jordan, J. (1992). Relational Resilience. Wellesley, MA: Stone Center Publications.
Jordan, J. (1998). Toward Connection and Competence. Wellesley, MA: Stone Center Publications.
Kaplan, A. G., Klein, R., & Gleason, N. (1991). Women's self development in late adolescence. In J.V. Jordan, A.G. Kaplan, J.B. Miller, I.P. Stiver, & J.L. Surrey (Eds.). Women's Growth in Connection (pp. 122–140). New York: Guilford Press.
King, C.A., Raskin, A., Gdowski, C.L., Butkus, M. & Opipari, L. (1990). Psychosocial factors associated with urban adolescent female suicide attempts. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 289–294.
Kovacs, M., Goldstein, D., & Gatsonis, C. (1993). Suicidal ideation and childhood-onset depressive disorders: A longitudinal investigation. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32, 8–20.
Marin, G., & Posner, S.F. (1995). The role of gender and acculturation on determining the consumption of alcoholic beverages among Mexican-Americans and Central Americans in the United States. The International Journal of the Addictions, 30, 779–794.
Marin, G., Sabogal, F., Marin, F.V., Otero-Sabogal, R., & Perez-Stable, E. (1987). Development of a short acculturation scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Studies, 9, 183–205.
Ng, B. (1996). Characteristics of 61 Mexican American adolescents who attempted suicide. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 18, 3–12.
Olson, D.H., Portner, J., & Bell, R.Q. (1982). FACES II: Family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales. Family Social Science. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Olson, D. H. & Tiesel, J. (1991). FACES II: Linear Scoring and interpretation. Family Social Science (pp. 29–38). St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Planos, R., Zayas, L.H., Busch-Rossnagel, N.A. (1995). Acculturation and teaching behaviors of Dominican and Puerto Rican mothers. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 17(2), 225–236.
Powell, J. W., Denton, R. & Mattson, A. (1995). Adolescent depression: Effects of mutuality in the mother-adolescent dyad and locus of control. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(2), 263–273.
Razin, A.M., O'Dowd, M.A., Nathan. A., Rodriguez, I, Goldfield, A., Martin, C., Goulet, L, Scheftel, S., Mazan, P., & Mosca, J. (1991). Suicidal behavior among inner-city Hispanic adolescent females. General Hospital Psychiatry, 13, 45–58.
Rhodes, J.E., Contreras, J.M., & Mangelsdorf, S.C. (1994). Natural mentor relationships among Latina adolescent mothers: Psychological adjustment, moderating processes, and the role of early parental acceptance. American Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 211–227.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rosenberg. M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.
Rossello, J., & Bernal, G (1996). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal treatments for depression in Puerto Rican adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 734–745.
Rotheram-Borus, M.J., Trautman, P.D., Dopkins, S.C. & Shrout, P.E. (1990). Cognitive style and pleasant activities among female suicide attempters. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58(5), 554–561.
Sorenson, S.B., & Golding, J.M. (1988). Suicide ideation and attempts in Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites: Demographic and psychiatric disorder issues. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 18(3), 205–218.
Spirito, A., Francis, G., Overholser, J. & Frank, N. (1996). Coping, depression, and adolescent suicide attempts. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25(2), 147–155.
Spirito, A., Stark, A., Williams, C., & Guevremont, D. (1989). Common problems and coping strategies I: Findings with normal adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 201–212.
Sudak, H. S. & Rushforth, N. B. (1993). Suicide. In Singer, M. I., Singer, L. T. & Anglin, T. M. (Eds.). Handbook for Screening Adolescents at Psychosocial Risk (pp. 189–233). New York: Lexington Books.
Swanson, J.W., Linskey, A.O., Quintero-Salinas, R., Pumariega, A.J. & Holzer, C.E. (1992). A binational school survey of depressive symptoms, drug use, and suicidal ideation. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 669–678.
Vega, W.A., Gil, A., Warheit, G., Apospori, E., & Zimmerman, R. (1993). The relationship of drug use to suicide ideation and attempts among African American, Hispanic, and White non-Hispanic male adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 23, 110–119.
Wagner, B.M. & Cohen, P. (1995). Adolescent sibling differences in suicidal symptoms: The role of parent-child relationships. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 22(3), 321–337.
Wagner, B.M., Cole, R.E. & Schwarzman, P. (1995). Psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among junior and senior high school youth. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 25(3), 358–372.
Werner, E. & Smith, R. (1992). Overcoming the odds: High risk children from birth to adulthood. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Zayas, L.H. (1987). Toward an understanding of suicide risks in young Hispanic females. Journal of Adolescent Research, 2(1), 1–11.
Zayas, L.H. (1989). A retrospective on the “suicidal fit” in mainland Puerto Ricans. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 11(1), 46–57.
Zayas, L.H. & Dyche, L.A. (1995). Ethnic issues in the treatment of Hispanic adolescent suicide attempters. In J.K. Zimmerman & G.M. Asnis (Eds.). Treatment approaches with suicidal adolescents (Volume 12, The Einstein Psychiatry Monograph series, pp. 203–218). New York: John Wiley.
Zayas, L., Kaplan, C., Turner, S., Romano, K., & Gonzalez-Ramos, G. (2000). Understanding Suicide Attempts by Adolescent Hispanic Females. Social Work, 45 (1), 53–65.
Zimmerman, J.K. (1991). Crossing the desert alone: An etiological model of female adolescent suicidality. In C. Gilligan, A.G. Rogers, & D.L. Tolman (Eds.). Women, girls, and psychotherapy: Redefining resistance (pp. 223–240). New York: Haworth Press.
Zimmerman, J.K. & Zayas, L.H. (1995). Suicidal adolescent Latinas: Culture, female development and restoring the mother-daughter relationship. In S. Canetto & D. Lester (Eds.), Women and Suicide (pp. 120–132). New York: Springer.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Turner, S.G., Kaplan, C.P., Zayas, L. et al. Suicide Attempts by Adolescent Latinas: An Exploratory Study of Individual and Family Correlates. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 19, 357–374 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020270430436
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020270430436