Burdensomeness, acculturative stress, and suicide ideation among second-generation Asian American and Latinx university students.

Abstract

Second-generation persons experience unique interpersonal stressors that contribute to overall risk for suicide. However, studies to date have yet to examine complex associations for interpersonal risks and suicide ideation in this growing population. Consistent with the interpersonal theory of suicide, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential moderating effects of acculturative stress (familial and general) in the association of perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation among second-generation Asian American and Latinx young adults. Second-generation Asian American (n = 146) and Latinx (n = 139) university students completed self-measures of perceived burdensomeness, acculturative stress, suicide ideation, and depressive symptoms. Regression analyses revealed that the association for perceived burden and suicide ideation was most robust at higher levels of familial acculturative stress for Asian American study participants. Other models demonstrated likely clinical significance but did not reach statistical significance. In one example, perceived burdensomeness was associated with suicide ideation for second-generation Latinx study participants but, unexpectedly, at low (not high) levels of familial acculturative stress. General acculturative stress was not associated with suicide ideation for Asian American or Latinx university students in multivariate models. The current findings provide insight into interpersonal and contextual factors that contribute to suicide ideation for vulnerable second-generation Asian American and Latinx young adults. Further research is needed to assess shame, parental acculturative stress, and potential buffers such as peer support in risk/resilience models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).