SUICIDE IDEATION AND ACCULTURATION AMONG LOW SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS MEXICAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

The purpose of this study war to determine whether Mexican, American a dolescents' suicide ideation could be predicted from their acculturati on levels. A nonclinical sample of 242 Mexican American eighth-grade s tudents completed the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior High Scho ol version, the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (modi fied version), the Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form, and the Rosen berg Self-Esteem Scale A stepwise regression analysis was conducted Al though adolescents' acculturation levels did not correlate independent ly with suicide ideation scores, acculturation did significantly (and positively) predict suicide ideation when combined with depressive sym ptoms and low self-esteem. Also, Mexican American female adolescents h ad significantly higher suicide ideation scores and depressive symptom s as well as significantly tower self-esteem than did their male count erparts. Cultural inhibitory variables that possibly decrease Hispanic s' suicidal behavior are discussed.