Factors Influencing Teen Suicide-Related Behaviors Among Racially Diverse High School Students in a Southeastern Urban School District

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Richardson, S. (2020). Factors Influencing Teen Suicide-Related Behaviors Among Racially Diverse High School Students in a Southeastern Urban School District. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

This quantitative study explores factors related to suicide-related behaviors among high school students in a southeastern urban racially diverse school district. It sought to examine whether race was a moderator of identified predictors and the outcome variable of suicide-related behaviors. Based on data affirming that racially diverse students in North Carolina residing in an urban unnamed district have higher rates of suicide-related behaviors than White students, this study utilized the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey district data to ascertain predictors and moderation effects. The sample included 2,007 Black, Latino, Multiracial, and White high school students. A logistic regression model was designed with suicide-related behaviors as the outcome behavior and six predictor variables which included cyberbullying, loneliness, homelessness, opioid misuse, sadness, and race. Using SPSS PROCESS, additional regression models were then designed to test moderation. Results indicated that all but one variable, homelessness, were statistically significant predictors of suicide-related behaviors. Additionally, sadness was the only variable moderated by race. Recommendations include the adoption of a Culturally Responsive Suicide-Related Behavior Response Framework to educate students about the history of suicide-related behaviors from a historical and culturally-based perspective. Most importantly, this framework empowers students to find alternative ways to escape from harsh life realities while affirming the challenges and difficulties they face.

Details
Author

Richardson, Sonyia

Title

Factors Influencing Teen Suicide-Related Behaviors Among Racially Diverse High School Students in a Southeastern Urban School District

Physical Description

1 online resource (137 pages) : PDF

Date

2020

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

This quantitative study explores factors related to suicide-related behaviors among high school students in a southeastern urban racially diverse school district. It sought to examine whether race was a moderator of identified predictors and the outcome variable of suicide-related behaviors. Based on data affirming that racially diverse students in North Carolina residing in an urban unnamed district have higher rates of suicide-related behaviors than White students, this study utilized the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey district data to ascertain predictors and moderation effects. The sample included 2,007 Black, Latino, Multiracial, and White high school students. A logistic regression model was designed with suicide-related behaviors as the outcome behavior and six predictor variables which included cyberbullying, loneliness, homelessness, opioid misuse, sadness, and race. Using SPSS PROCESS, additional regression models were then designed to test moderation. Results indicated that all but one variable, homelessness, were statistically significant predictors of suicide-related behaviors. Additionally, sadness was the only variable moderated by race. Recommendations include the adoption of a Culturally Responsive Suicide-Related Behavior Response Framework to educate students about the history of suicide-related behaviors from a historical and culturally-based perspective. Most importantly, this framework empowers students to find alternative ways to escape from harsh life realities while affirming the challenges and difficulties they face.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education
Social service

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Adolescents
Mental Health
Racially Diverse
Suicide
Suicide Attempt
Suicide Ideation

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Lewis, Chance

Committee Members

Butler, Bettie
Abrams, Lyndon
Flowers, Claudia

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2020.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Richardson_uncc_0694D_12347

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2042