Immigrant Disparities in Suicide Ideation: Variation Across Age of Migration, Gender, and Nativity
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Immigrant Disparities in Suicide Ideation: Variation Across Age of Migration, Gender, and Nativity Bianca E. Bersani1 · Melissa S. Morabito2
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract While mounting evidence reveals an immigrant paradox whereby foreign-born individual’s exhibit better than expected health outcomes, this advantage is not evenly distributed with evidence of differential vulnerabilities for suicidality comparing 1.5 and first generations. We use a developmental framework to explore for variation in suicidality by developmental stage across gender and nativity. Data come from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). ANOVA and logistic regression models are used to examine patterns in the prevalence of suicide ideation. The association between suicidality and age at migration is non-linear with differential vulnerabilities to suicide ideation between age of migration groups and across gender and nativity. Findings support calls for a more nuanced disaggregation of age of migration and its intersection with gender and nativity. Keywords Immigration · Suicide ideation · Age at migration · Life course · Immigrant paradox
Introduction Counter to expectations and anti-immigrant rhetoric, in many ways today’s immigrants appear particularly resilient to the disruptive forces of migration [1]. A considerable body of research reveals an immigrant paradox where, despite a high degree of economic disadvantage and immigrant specific stressors, foreign-born individuals evidence better than expected resiliency and health outcomes, and are less likely to engage in risky and criminal behaviors compared to their similarly situated U.S.-born peers [2–7]. Though the immigrant paradox appears to be wide-spread, the benefit is not evenly distributed across all immigrants for every outcome [8–10]. In particular, there appear to be differential vulnerabilities for mental duress depending upon one’s age at migration, gender, and ethnicity [4, 11, 12].
* Bianca E. Bersani [email protected] Melissa S. Morabito [email protected] 1
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, 2220 LeFrak Hall, College Park, MD, USA
School of Criminology & Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
2
The growth of the U.S. immigrant population generally, and particularly immigrant children, in the U.S. has focused attention on the health and behavioral profile of immigrants [13]. In 2014, more than 13% (roughly 42 million persons) of the United States population was foreign-born representing a fourfold increase from 1960 to 2014 [14]. Simultaneously, following a period of decline, suicide rates nationally have been on the rise and currently represent a 30-year high [15]. The increase has disproportionately affected youth and Latina adolescents specifically [9, 16, 17]. The confluence of rising suicidality and historically high immigrant flows [14] signals an important public health challenge. Drawing on data from
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