| dc.description |
Increase in suicide rates of African American males since the 1960s has
prompted a growing interest among researchers . Although research has increased
in this area , suicide remains an issue that is explored far less often among African
American males compared to other groups . Moreover , studies exploring risk
factors associated with suicide in this group have led to inconclusive results . The
current meta -analysis was conducted to synthesize the results of existing
literature and to identify risk factors associated with suicide among African
American males under the age of 30 . Of 25 research articles published between
1970 and 2007 that met inclusion criteria , 48 units of analysis were obtained
including 37 ,927 total subjects . The current analysis identified 57 risk factors that
were categorized into 16 constructs : substance use , religion , economic , location ,
education , family , internalizing , externalizing , ethnic variables , stressor / conflict ,
support , medical /somatic , psychological disorder , perception , age , and gender .
Risk factors for suicidal behavior were coded and effect sizes between groups
were computed . Age yielded the largest magnitude of effect such that suicidal
groups of African American males were more likely to be younger than groups of non -suicidal comparisons . Effect sizes of risk factors were also analyzed within
four additional domains (attempters , ideators , ideators & attempters , and
completrs ) . Results indicate that age and perception had the largest effects for
attempts , while psychological disorders had the least effect . Effects for ideators
were largest for substance use and medical problems , while religion was
smallest . In a group of ideators and attempters , age was again found to have the
largest effect while medical problems had the least . Lastly , factors associated
with perception and psychological disorder had the greatest effect for completers
while religion had the least effect . Effects of several factors such as religion ,
location , family , and ethnic variables did not change across suicidal subgroups
suggesting that although their effects were not largest , they remained constant
across behaviors . |
|