The Association Between Racism and Suicidality Among Young Minority Groups: A Systematic Review

Characterizing suicidal thoughts and behaviours in individuals presenting to a psychiatric emergency department: a protocol for a multimethod approach for suicide prevention research

INTRODUCTION

Identifying individuals at risk of suicide remains an ongoing challenge. Previous research investigating risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) has been informative for assessing suicide risk. However, the complex biological, psychological and sociocultural factors underlying STB have not been comprehensively captured to date, which has limited our understanding of how these factors interact to influence STB. Moreover, acute care settings, such as emergency departments (EDs), are often first points of contact for individuals with STB, highlighting a need for more research in these settings.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We aim to (1) characterize a cohort seeking care for STB and their clinical trajectories; (2) situate the cohort by comparing its characteristics and outcomes to other groups seeking emergency care; (3) explore their experiences of seeking care; and (4) examine blood-based biomarkers modulating risk for STB. Using a multimethod, prospective cohort design, we will follow up to 500 people aged 16 or older presenting to the ED with STB at a psychiatric hospital over 1 year. Analyses will involve descriptive statistics and latent profile analysis to characterize the cohort, hypothesis tests and regression models to situate the cohort, qualitative analysis based on a realist research framework to understand experiences, and within-participant comparisons of proteins, mRNA and epigenetic DNA modifications to examine biomarkers of contrasting states of STB.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the hospital's Research Ethics Board with safeguards in place to ensure the well-being of participants and research team. An integrated knowledge translation approach will be used for dissemination, wherein patient and family advisors are engaged throughout each study phase. Findings will enhance our understanding of the multifactorial nature of suicide risk, inform strategies for prevention and provide important insights into characteristics, experiences and outcomes of individuals with STB, who are under-represented in mental health research.

Help-Seeking Needs Related to Suicide Prevention for Individuals in Contact With Mental Health Services: A Rapid Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

Prior mental healthcare utilisation presents an important window of opportunity for providing suicide prevention interventions. To date, no reviews have consolidated the help-seeking needs of individuals in contact with mental health services. This warrants further attention given this group may have different needs for interventions compared with the general population who have not sought help previously.

AIM

The purpose of this rapid scoping review was to summarise the available literature on help-seeking needs related to suicide prevention among individuals in contact with mental health services from healthcare settings.

METHOD

Cochrane rapid review and Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodologies were adapted, and databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo and EMBASE, were searched.

RESULTS

A total of 42 primary studies were included in analysis. Reported barriers and facilitators to help-seeking behaviours identified within studies were mapped onto the socio-ecological model. Barriers and facilitators identified included knowledge and attitudes towards healthcare utilisation, family and peer support, interactions with healthcare professionals, provision of holistic care, and the creation of a supportive atmosphere and safe space to promote open discussions of suicide-related concerns.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this review offer valuable insights into areas for improvement in addressing help-seeking needs for individuals who are in contact with health services related to suicide prevention.

IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH

The findings serve as a foundation for shaping mental health initiatives informing approaches and care delivery tailored towards individuals who are in contact with health services. The reported barriers and facilitators offer insights to inform the development of mental health support tools to enhance care and considerations for evaluations.

The association between experiences of racism and mental health on children and young people in the UK: rapid scoping review

BACKGROUND

Racism is increasingly recognised as a key contributor to poor mental health. However, the existing literature primarily focuses on its effects on adults.

AIM

To identify literature on the association between experiences of racism and mental health in children and young people in the UK.

METHOD

Inclusion criteria were: (a) peer-reviewed publications containing original data; (b) UK-based research; (c) included examination of associations between mental health and experiences of direct or indirect racism (quantitative or qualitative); (d) inclusion of an assessment of mental health outcomes; (e) participant ages up to and including 18 years of age or (if the range went beyond 18) with a mean age of 17 years or less. Six databases were searched between 2000 and 2022; an initial 11 522 studies were identified with only eight meeting the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Five of the identified studies provided quantitative data and three provided qualitative data. The majority of studies (7/8) focused on children and young people aged 10 years and over; only one focused on children under the age of 10 years. Measurements of racism varied among the studies providing quantitative data. Only four studies directly focused on the effects of racism on the mental health of children and young people.

CONCLUSION

Although the included studies highlighted potential negative impacts of experiences of racism on children and young people in the UK, this review shows the lack of available literature to inform policy and practice. No studies examined the impact of internalised racism, systemic and institutional racism, or intersectionality.

Temporal Location of Changes in the US Suicide Rate by Age, Ethnicity, and Race: A Joinpoint Analysis 1999-2020

ABSTRACT

Suicide rates differ over time. Our objective was to determine when significant changes occurred by age, race, and ethnicity in the United States between 1999 and 2020. National Center for Health Statistics WONDER data were used in joinpoint regression. The annual percent change in suicide rate increased for all race, ethnic, and age groups, except for those 65 years and older. For American Indian/Alaska Natives, the largest increase occurred between 2010 and 2020 for those with ages 25 to 34 years. For Asian/Pacific Islander, the largest increase occurred among those 15 to 24 years old between 2011 and 2016. For Black/African-Americans, the largest increases occurred between 2010 and 2020 among 15- to 34-year-olds. For Whites, the largest increase occurred between 2014 and 2017 among 15- to 24-year-olds. Between 2018 and 2020, suicide rates significantly declined among Whites 45 to 64 years of age. Among Hispanics, significant increases in suicide rate occurred between 2012 and 2020 among those with ages 15 to 44 years. Between 1999 and 2020, the contour of suicide burden varied by age groups, race, and ethnicity.

Suicide in young people: screening, risk assessment, and intervention

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people worldwide and the third leading cause of death among those in the US. This review outlines the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behavior in young people. It discusses intersectionality as an emerging framework to guide research on prevention of suicide in young people and highlights several clinical and community settings that are prime targets for implementation of effective treatment programs and interventions aimed at rapidly reducing the suicide rate in young people. It provides an overview of current approaches to screening and assessment of suicide risk in young people and the commonly used screening tools and assessment measures. It discusses universal, selective, and indicated evidence based suicide focused interventions and highlights components of psychosocial interventions with the strongest evidence for reducing risk. Finally, the review discusses suicide prevention strategies in community settings and considers future research directions and questions challenging the field.

Correlational study on cyberbullying and social abilities in intercultural teenagers

This article analyzes the relationship between cyberbullying profile by racist reasons and social abilities in a group of intercultural teenagers living in Spain (N = 1478). The study includes participants aged between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.99; SD = 1.352). Of these, 738 were male (49.9%) and 740 were female (50.1%). A correlational study was carried out using online tools with suitable psychometrics parameters (content-construct validity and reliability). The first one was a scale that measured social abilities, and the second one evaluated racist or xenophobic cyberbullying, differentiating the victim and aggressor profiles. The results indicated five main findings: (1) generally, the participants analyzed present all their social abilities; (2) for the most part, these participants do not normally experience cyberbullying; (3) a positive correlation exists between the majority of social abilities analyzed and the cybervictim profile. It was also observed a negative correlation between the social ability associated with the ability of making requests and this profile; (4) there is a positive correlation among the six social abilities analyzed and the cyberaggressor profile; (5) the racist or xenophobic cyberbullying are driven not only by the absence of social abilities, but in some cases, they are also driven by socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). Likewise, this work shows how the absence of some social abilities in some participants involve racist or xenophobic experiences as victims and as aggressors, which may be of interest for the analysis of teenagers' behavior in intercultural contexts, as well as according to age and gender. More transcultural research need to be carried out to know the global perspective of the link between social abilities and the different profiles of racist and xenophobic cyberbullying, framed in the context of social psychology and studies of mass communication.