Exposure to Neighborhood Violence and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adolescents in the USA: Findings from a Population-Based Study

Suicide has been identified as the second leading cause of death among adolescents in the USA. Although neighborhood violence has also been identified as a major public health issue, few studies have examined the association between exposure to neighborhood violence and suicidal behaviors among adolescents using a large nationally representative sample. Guided by the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, this study examined the cross-sectional association between exposure to neighborhood violence and suicidal behaviors among adolescents. Data for this study came from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (n = 7663, 52.1% Female). The outcome variables investigated in this study were suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, and the main explanatory variable was exposure to neighborhood violence. Data were analyzed using sequential hierarchical binary logistic regression. Of the 7663 adolescents examined, 20.1% experienced suicidal ideation and 8.9% attempted suicide at least once during the past 12 months. About 21% of the adolescents reported being exposed to neighborhood violence. Controlling for other factors, we found that exposure to neighborhood violence was associated with 1.38 times higher odds of making suicide attempts (AOR = 1.38, p = .029, 95% CI 1.04–1.84). The findings of this study could inform clinicians, practitioners, and school counselors on how to identify adolescents who may be particularly at risk of suicide attempts and focus efforts on prevention.