Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

9-2018

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Psychology

Advisor

Deidre M. Anglin

Advisor

Regina Miranda

Committee Members

Eric Fertuck

Elizabeth Jeglic

Denise Hien

Subject Categories

Clinical Psychology | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Environmental Public Health | Multicultural Psychology | Psychological Phenomena and Processes

Keywords

Racial/ethnic Discrimination, Suicidal Ideation, Suicidal Behavior, Emerging Adults, Racial/ethnic Minority

Abstract

The evidence demonstrating that experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination is detrimental to the mental health of racial/ethnic minority youth is unequivocal. What remains unclear, however, is whether racial/ethnic discrimination increases vulnerability for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in particular, and if so, what are the underlying mechanisms to explain this relation. Drawing upon the Race-based Traumatic Stress Theory (Carter, 2007), which suggests that some individuals may experience racial/ethnic discrimination as a traumatic stressor, and thus, eliciting a traumatic stress response, the present study examined posttraumatic stress reactions (i.e., posttraumatic stress, depression, dissociation, stress sensitivity) as mediators in the relation between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among emerging adults, and whether this relation was modified by sex and race/ethnicity. Findings suggest that posttraumatic stress and depression mediate the relation between racial/ethnic discrimination stress and suicidal ideation among racial/ethnic minority emerging adults, particularly females. Additionally, increased frequency in racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with increases in suicide attempts to the degree that it increased dissociation, stress sensitivity depression, and suicidal ideation. The findings indicate that racial/ethnic discrimination may increase risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among racial/ethnic minority emerging adults to the degree that it elicits traumatic stress reactions, and this may vary across race/ethnicity and sex. Racial/ethnic discrimination experiences should be accounted for when assessing and treating racial/ethnic minority youth at risk for suicide.

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