Caregiver-Youth intergeneration acculturation conflict moderates the relationship between depression severity and suicidality among female Mexican-Descent college students

Abstract

Objective Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age students in the U.S., with disparities in suicide ideation and attempts among Latinas. The current study aims to examine if depression severity predicts suicide ideation and attempts and to examine if caregiver intergeneration acculturation conflict (IAC) moderates this link. Participants A sample of 246 Mexican-descent female college students. Methods Self-reported measures for depression severity, male and female caregiver IAC, and suicide ideation and attempts in the previous 12-months were ascertained. Results In our sample, 31.1% endorsed suicide ideation and 15.9% suicide attempts. Controlling for age, both male and female caregiver IAC moderated the relationship between depression severity and suicide ideation. A similar moderation pattern emerged for the suicide attempts outcome. Conclusions Understanding this exacerbating contextual factor can help inform prevention/intervention efforts targeting Mexican-descent college students who are experiencing depressive symptoms by focusing on decreasing IAC with both caregivers. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among emerging adults, defined as 18–29-year-olds, 1 in the United States (U.S.) and is responsible for more deaths than any single major medical illness. 2 Significant gender and ethnic/racial disparities have been well-documented and highlight that Latina emerging adults experience some of the highest rates of suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) and the greatest increases in SA over time, when compared to non-Latinx White, female emerging adults. 3 , 4 In fact, recent research suggests that Latina college students report a 1.7% prevalence rate of suicide attempts compared to 1.2% among non-Latina White college students and data trends report a nearly double increase in the percent of suicide attempts from 2011 to 2015 (from 0.9% to 1.7%) for Latinas versus a minimal change (from 1.1% to 1.2%) among non-Latina White college students. 4 Key research examining this disparity have cited that elevated depressive symptoms, which are also experienced at higher levels among Latinx groups in the U.S., 5 are strongly linked to SI and SA among Latinx college students and emerging adults. 6 , 7 Developmentally, the highest risk period for the onset of SI and SA is during late adolescence or emerging adulthood 8 and deaths due to suicide increase as adolescents move into emerging adulthood. 2 , 9 Emerging adulthood is an even riskier developmental period for minoritized college students, like Latinx college students, because this period is marked by identity formation processes that are exacerbated by intercultural interactions on college campuses and cultural expectations at home. 10 These data underscore the significance of detecting how unique contextual factors may interact with elevated depressive symptoms, and importantly, how these factors are associated with the increased suicide risk among Latinx college-age youth, as they represent a high-risk developmental and ethnic group.