Presence of Alcohol and Drugs in Hispanic Versus Non-Hispanic Youth Suicide Victims in Miami-Dade County, Florida
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Presence of Alcohol and Drugs in Hispanic Versus Non-Hispanic Youth Suicide Victims in Miami-Dade County, Florida Daniel Castellanos1 • Jennifer Ellyn Kosoy2 • Karla Diaz Ayllon3 • Juan Acuna4
Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract This study examines the association between the presence of drugs and alcohol at time of suicide in Hispanic versus non-Hispanic youth suicide victims in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Medical Examiner’s records of 435 persons aged 24 years or younger classified as suicides in Miami-Dade County, Florida, from 1990 to 2011 were reviewed. Hispanic youth in Miami-Dade County, Florida were 1.62 times more likely than nonHispanic youth to have used drugs and alcohol at time of suicide (OR 1.62; 95 % CI 1.07–2.04; p = 0.049). Firearm use was significantly associated with drug and alcohol use at time of death. Use of drugs and alcohol at the time of death are important risk factors for suicide in Hispanic youth. Keywords
Suicide Youth Hispanic Drugs Alcohol
& Daniel Castellanos [email protected] 1
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, AHC I 349, Miami, FL 33199, USA
2
Department of Pediatrics, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA
3
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
4
Department of Medical and Health Sciences Research, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Introduction Every year, more American youth die from suicide than from all leading natural causes of death combined. Youth suicide is a major health concern in the United States and was the third leading cause of death in young people ages fifteen to twenty-four in the years 1997–2007 [1]. This is a major public health problem that uses the nation’s economic, social, and health resources. Each year, about $25 billion are spent to account for the healthcare services, funerals, autopsies, and other costs related to suicide [2]. Therefore, an important aspect in developing youth suicide prevention strategies is to identify the most common risk and protective factors. There are several predisposing factors associated with an increased risk for youth suicide, including depression, alcohol and substance use, other psychiatric disorders, and a history of abuse. Psychosocial stressors, such as dysfunctional family units, conflicts with friends, or disciplinary problems at school are associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideations [2]. Suicidal behaviors exist on a continuum, with those individuals having ideations being more likely to attempt and complete suicide [3]. In addition, two-thirds of children and adolescents that are suicide victims had expressed their ideations to somebody before attempting the suicide [4]. Several lines of evidence suggest that adolescents and young adults are uniquely susceptible to the short- an
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