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Perceived Discrimination and Acculturative Stress among Ethnic Minority College Students: The Impact on Suicide Risk via Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness

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Abstract

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It is important to understand the role of sociocultural factors in suicide among individuals who belong to ethnic minority populations. This study investigated the indirect association of perceived discrimination and acculturative stress on suicide risk via perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belonginess among ethnic minority college students. One-hundred-sixty-seven undergraduate students (41.9% men; 58.1% women) between the ages of 18–28 years completed online questionnaires assessing perceived discrimination, acculturative stress, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicide risk. Analyses revealed an indirect effect of perceived discrimination and acculturative stress on suicide risk through perceived burdensomeness, but not through thwarted belongingness. Both perceived discrimination and acculturative stress were associated with greater perception of burdensomeness, which was associated with increased suicide risk. Limitations of this study include an undergraduate sample from the Midwestern region, a small sample size for each minority group, and a cross-sectional design. These findings contribute to the literature of suicide among ethnic minority college students and may have clinical implications for suicide prevention efforts in these populations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the research assistants who contributed to data collection and the volunteers who participated in this study.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hauser 116, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA

    Mun Yee Kwan

  2. Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA

    Mun Yee Kwan, Kathryn H. Gordon, Valerie Douglas & Allison M. Minnich

  3. Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 1925 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX, R510078712, USA

    Yessenia Castro

  4. Chicago Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Center, 4711 Golf Rd. Suite 520, Skokie, IL, 60076, USA

    Allison M. Minnich

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Contributions

Mun Yee Kwan and Kathryn Gordon designed the study and oversaw the data collection. Mun Yee Kwan conducted literature searches and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Yessenia Castro conducted data analyses and wrote the Results section. Valerie Douglas and Allison Minnich contributed to literature searches and the Methods section. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mun Yee Kwan.

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Kwan, M.Y., Gordon, K.H., Castro, Y. et al. Perceived Discrimination and Acculturative Stress among Ethnic Minority College Students: The Impact on Suicide Risk via Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness. Trends in Psychol. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00345-0

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