Adolescent Suicide Prevention Program Recommendations from Latina Immigrant Mothers

What is it about?

Latino parents struggle with multiple issues that plague their adolescent children, one of the most devastating being suicide. These parents yearn for more support, yet when it comes to suicide prevention, research and practitioners tend to include them as an afterthought. This article aims to change that. We describe what 22 Latino mothers believe an effective suicide prevention program would look like for them. Overall, their recommendations are grouped into three themes: (1) engagement via a multi-step effort in culturally relevant spaces; (2) providing psychoeducation in culturally meaningful ways; and (3) offering tangible takeaways. We close the article by providing practitioners and researchers with a sketch for developing a culturally-tailored suicide prevention program that places Latino caregivers as agents of change in the fight against adolescent suicide within their communities.

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Photo by Jhon David on Unsplash

Photo by Jhon David on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study takes a first step toward prioritizing Latino caregivers as agents of change and recognizing their role in the fight against adolescent suicide. Findings suggest that Latina immigrant mothers desire to be involved in suicide prevention but experience significant anxiety related to the topic. Thus, clinicians should engage caregivers in a non-threatening manner through primary prevention efforts focused on adolescent well-being, followed by brief psychoeducational suicide prevention workshops.

Perspectives