Citation

Castellanos D, Kosoy JE, Ayllon KD, Acuna J. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2016; 18(5): 1024-1031.

Affiliation

Department of Medical and Health Sciences Research, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10903-016-0418-y

PMID

27098653

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 non-Hispanic 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.

Language: en