Citation

Diaz AD. Acad. Pediatr. 2024; 24(5S): 25-31.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Academic Pediatric Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.acap.2023.05.024

PMID

38991798

Abstract

Migrant youth who face forced displacement from their home countries have an emergent mental health burden, placing them at increased suicide risk. As such, it is crucial for pediatric providers to include suicide screening and assessment in their care for this population. Migrant families seek safety but, in many cases, encounter adverse events and psychosocial inequities in the migration journey and in the host community. Factors such as trauma, acculturative stress, and intersectionality influence suicide risk in migrants. Summative traumatic events contribute to the mental health load and worsen suicidal outcomes in migrant youth. Acculturative stress can lead to social marginalization in the host country, further adding to the existing mental health burden. Finally, intersectionality encompasses complex sociocultural influences, which shape the development of cultural identity in migrant youth and influence suicide risk. By examining these factors, the author advances cultural considerations in screening and assessment for suicide risk in migrant youth through evidence-based tools in pediatric clinical practice. Barriers to access to mental health services, stigma, and distrust of the health care system within the host community are also addressed. The author establishes recommendations for early suicide screening and prevention within this population through trauma-informed care, active advocacy, and cultural sensitivity.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Child; Female; Adolescent; Risk Assessment; Social Stigma; Health Services Accessibility; suicide risk; Acculturation; Mental Health Services; suicide screening; Transients and Migrants/psychology; *Suicide Prevention; *Refugees/psychology; cultural considerations; migrant youth; Suicide/psychology/ethnology