Pathways Linking Racial Discrimination to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents

AI Summary

Perceived racial discrimination, reported by 43% of minority adolescents, was associated with increased odds of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.
Persistent sadness and hopelessness largely mediated the link, explaining about 47% of ideation, 44% of planning, and 42% of attempts.
Racial discrimination, rather than racial or ethnic identity, drives increased suicide risk; vaping mediated a smaller proportion (17 to 19%).

Psychiatr Q. 2026 Jul 10. doi: 10.1007/s11126-026-10296-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adolescent suicide remains a major public health concern in the United States. Racial/ethnic minority adolescents often experience psychosocial stressors such as discrimination, which may contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). This study examined the association between perceived racial discrimination (PRD) and STBs among U.S. racial/ethnic minority adolescents and assessed whether persistent sadness/hopelessness and vaping mediate this association after adjusting for demographic characteristics. Data were drawn from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The analytic sample included 8,054 racial/ethnic minority adolescents aged 14-18 years (50.8% male). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations between PRD and suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts. Mediation analyses assessed whether persistent sadness/hopelessness and vaping explained these associations while controlling for demographic characteristics. Approximately 43% of racial/ethnic minority adolescents reported experiencing PRD. Adolescents reporting PRD had higher odds of suicidal ideation (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.20-1.73), suicide planning (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.02-1.57), and suicide attempts (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.16-1.93). Persistent sadness/hopelessness significantly mediated these associations, accounting for 47.2% of the total effect for suicidal ideation, 44.0% for suicide planning, and 42.3% for suicide attempts. Vaping mediated a smaller proportion of the associations, explaining 18.1%, 17.1%, and 19.0% of the effects for suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts, respectively. Racial discrimination, rather than racial/ethnic identity itself, was associated with increased suicide risk among racial/ethnic minority adolescents. This association is largely explained by feelings of sadness or hopelessness. These findings underscore the importance of addressing racial discrimination and its psychological and behavioral consequences in efforts to reduce suicide risk among racial/ethnic minority adolescents.

PMID:42426541 | DOI:10.1007/s11126-026-10296-1

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