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Physical and Psycho-Social Predictors of Adolescents’ Suicide Behaviors

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Abstract

The current study examined the relationship between suicidal behaviors and physical and psycho-social predictors including body image, weight control behaviors, and risky sexual behaviors among Asian, African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic adolescents. This study used the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The target populations were 11,134 adolescents (5,636 female and 5,498 male) in 9th–12th grade who completed the survey. A linear regression was conducted to examine the correlation between predictors and suicidal behaviors. The results showed that gender, grade, depression, substance use, body image, weight control behaviors, and risky sexual behaviors were significant predictors of adolescents’ suicidal behaviors, while race/ethnicity was not a good predictor. Also, there were significant gender and grade differences in suicidal behaviors. Based on the results, practice implications for suicide prevention were discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Beth Amey for helpful comments and editorial suggestions.

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  1. School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA

    Yi Jin Kim, Sung Seek Moon & Min Ju Kim

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Correspondence to Sung Seek Moon.

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Kim, Y.J., Moon, S.S. & Kim, M.J. Physical and Psycho-Social Predictors of Adolescents’ Suicide Behaviors. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 28, 421–438 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-011-0241-1

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