Acculturation and suicide-related risk among Latin American migrants

Abstract

This chapter examines suicide-related risk among Latin American migrants worldwide, exploring the finding of elevated risk among certain subgroups of Latin American and Caribbean migrants against a background of lower risk overall compared to native populations. The evidence summarized here supports the role of acculturation in rising suicide-related risk, with longer exposure to the new society represented by longer residence in the country, earlier age of migration, and later generation status. A review of sociocultural risk and protective factors relevant to the experiences of migration and acculturation that are linked to suicide-related risk is provided, as well as a summary of limitations in the existing literature. We suggest pathways that account for how acculturation impacts the onset and course of suicide-related behaviours of Latin American migrants, as well as their clinical implications and recommendations for future research and clinical work.