Increasing Suicide Attempts among Hispanic Teen Girls: Can the Next President Help?

Puberty is a time of transition for adolescents that can bring about feelings of anxiety, insecurity and even depression. While the perils of growing up are often times similar for many teens, occasionally these seemingly minor problems can spin out of control. Most psychologists would encourage parent/teen communication in order to ease times of transition. What happens if parents do not believe in the importance of mental health for their teens? Because the field of psychology and mental health, in comparison to other medical practices, is relatively young in its development, many people are hesitant to trust its beneficial qualities when dealing with anxiety and depression. Additionally, most of the influential theories in psychology are not cross-culturally applicable. For immigrant teens, like Jocelyn Garay (left) and Ana Martinez (right), both major and minor changes associated with puberty were not always easily discussed with relatives because other problems took precedence for their families. When feelings of anxiety and depression go unresolved, severe repercussions come to the surface.

On January 22, 2008, the Washington Post published a story titled "Crying Out for Help: Suicide Attempts Reveal Strains on Young Latinas." The article states that among the general population, Hispanic/Latin American females are more likely than White or Black teenage girls to attempt suicide. In a study conducted in 1999 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where teen risk behavior was surveyed, researchers found that 23.3% of Hispanic teen girls reported having made plans to commit suicide. This was significantly higher than both White (15.5%) and Black teen girls (13.7%). Luis Zayas, a psychologist and professor at Washington University in Saint Louis, who is currently conducting a study on this subject matter, offers some insights as to why this is becoming typical behavior among this specific group of girls. Zayas believes these attempts of suicide are merely a cry for help and not evidentiary of a will to die. Some explanations as to why these girls attempt to take their lives include the absence of strong familial ties, feelings of insecurity among peers, and confusion between what is expected of them in American culture versus what their families expect. Zayas also claims that crossing the border for immigrant teens can be a major source of anxiety and stress. He goes on to say, "Until we understand the cultural conflict, we will not be able to prevent this." What makes problems worse is that Hispanics rarely seek out mental health professionals. This is due to the fact that most Hispanic families do not believe in psychology and also promote keeping problems within the family. The Washington Post decided to present this story as a major crisis for the Hispanic teen population, but the question is, can the results of these studies be interpreted as progress rather than a widespread epidemic?

The idea that young Hispanics are coming forward with reports of having made plans to end their lives and are participating in ongoing psychological research is definitely a step forward. These participants are raising awareness of the importance of mental health services. This has important implications for future generations who will eventually know the severity of depression and suicidal tendencies among their youth. It is important to understand that these findings can serve as a stepping-stone for major change within the community. A hopeful message can be extracted from the progress these teens are making, in terms of their willingness to discuss their emotions with mental health professionals. What better time to bring up change within the Hispanic and Latin American community than during one of the biggest times of transition; the 2008 presidential election?

It seems that the upcoming election will have a major impact on many hot topics over the next few years. With Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain (pictured to the right) promoting major immigration reform, it is inevitable that the changes will affect many immigrants in the United States. Some of the changes mentioned by all three leading candidates include stronger border security as well as stricter laws against employers hiring undocumented workers. One of Obama's solutions includes allowing immigrants in good standing to pay a fine, learn English and have the opportunity to come to this country legally. Although each candidate has different opinions about how to solve the problem, the importance of keeping families together has been addressed at least by both democratic candidates. Ineffective laws, in the past, have separated parents and children, which only adds to the stress of immigrant teens. The mere fact that these issues are being addressed by the future leader of the nation seems to implicate that progress is being made.

The Latin American/Hispanic population in the United States is ever growing, which has never been more evident than during this time of presidential campaigning. With the information being brought to light by current research, it becomes clear that those who were once considered a minority in this country are impacting the field of psychology as well as politics in a major way. It is important to understand cultural differences when addressing topics such as health in the United States. Although studies such as Professor Louis Zayas' on suicidal teens can seem daunting and hopeless, it should be viewed as a beacon of hope. Not only hope that health care professionals are beginning to focus on minority mental health but also that presidential change has the power to reduce some of the turmoil foreigners currently deal with when immigrating to the United States.