Toward an Understanding of Suicide Risks in Young Hispanic Females

Hispanic adolescents in the United States have been virtually neglected in the literature on youth suicide. Among Hispanic youth, adolescent females constitute a subgroup at risk for depression and suicidal behavior. The author reviews extant literature on adolescent suicide, and discusses such psychosocial and cultural factors as socioeconomic disadvantage, traditional gender-role socialization, acculturation, cultural identity, and intergenerational conflict within the context of suicide attempts among adolescent Hispanic females. It is proposed that the interactive effects of these factors may contribute to suicide attempts among low income, first and second-generation Hispanic adolescent females.