Attempted Suicides High Among Young Latinas
Here’s something we should all stop and take note of: according to a report in Fox News Latino the Center for Disease Control says
Suicide attempts are an alarming and growing trend among Latinas. Nationally, 25 percent of Hispanic teenagers say they’ve had suicidal thoughts, according to the Center for Disease Control, and about 15 percent have tried to kill themselves. Latinas age 12 to 17 are more at risk of trying to take their own lives than any other racial or ethnic group their age.
The reason that many experts are pointing to is acculturation, and a clash of cultures and expectations. The experts claim that Latino families tend to be interdependent and family needs are predominant, whereas non-Latino families emphasize independence.
“What we see is a clashing of the Hispanic culture and the American culture,” (NY based Life is Precious program’s Beatriz) Coronel said. “At a very young age these Latinas are given a lot of responsibility that they are not capable of handling.”
This, plus the added pressures of school and peers leads to depression and eventually to the contemplation of suicide. In New York city, according to the FNL report, 1 in 6 young Latinas has tried to take their life.
Familymentalhealth.com has put together a list of warning signs that a teen may be depressed and thinking of suicide:
- Change in eating and sleeping habits.
- Withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities.
- Violent or rebellious behavior, or running away.
- Drug and alcohol abuse.
- Unusual neglect of personal appearance.
- Radical personality change.
- Persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating, or a decline in the quality of school work.
- Frequent complaints about physical symptoms often related to emotions, such as stomach ache or headache, fatigue.
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities.
- Not tolerating praise or rewards.
Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda
[Photo by shattered.art66]
