Cultural identification and attempted suicide in Native Hawaiian adolescents

Abstract

Objectives: To determine rates of lifetime suicide attempts in a community sample of Native Hawaiian adolescents and determine the contribution of Hawaiian cultural affiliation, socioeconomic status, and psychiatric symptoms as risk factors for suicide.

Method: High school students were surveyed in the state of Hawaii for lifetime suicide attempts, Hawaiian cultural affiliation, socioeconomic status, and symptoms of depression, substance abuse, aggression, and anxiety. Multiple logistic regressions were used on 3,094 subjects to develop prediction models for lifetime suicide attempts.

Results: Native Hawaiian adolescents had significantly higher rates of suicide attempts (12.9%) than other adolescents in Hawaii (9.6%). Hawaiian cultural affiliation rather than ethnicity was uniquely predictive of suicide attempts. Logistic regression indicated that depression, substance abuse, grade level, Hawaiian cultural affiliation, and main wage earner's education best predicted suicide attempts in Native Hawaiian adolescents, while depression, substance abuse, and aggression predicted suicide attempts in non-Hawaiians.

Conclusions: Native Hawaiian adolescents have higher rates of attempted suicide than non-Hawaiian adolescents. Strong Hawaiian cultural affiliation rather than ethnicity is a risk factor for attempted suicide.