Racial Differences in Adolescents' Answering Questions About Suicide

• Published in: Death studies Vol. 39; no. 10; pp. 600 - 604
• Main Authors: Anderson, Laura M, Lowry, Lynda S, Wuensch, Karl L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis LLC 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Americans - psychology; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Asian Americans - psychology; Asian Americans - statistics & numerical data; Continental Population Groups - psychology; Continental Population Groups - statistics & numerical data; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Female; Health technology assessment; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Indians, North American - psychology; Indians, North American - statistics & numerical data; Male; Psychology, Adolescent - statistics & numerical data; Racial differences; Risk assessment; Self Disclosure; Suicide - ethnology; Suicide - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - ethnology; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; United States - epidemiology; United States
• ISSN: 0748-1187; 1091-7683
• DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2015.1047058

The present purpose was to examine racial differences in response rate and serious behavioral suicide risk based on the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS). Data from 15,245 adolescents (YRBS, 2011) were included. Survey items pertaining to making suicidal plans and attempting suicide were included. Significant differences in responding and content emerged, especially with regard to suicide attempts. Racial minority adolescents are at elevated risk for serious suicidal behaviors and are more likely to omit items pertaining to suicide attempts. African American adolescents rarely reported having attempted suicide, but they also frequently failed to respond to that question.