Self-reported experiences of discrimination increase youth’s risk for suicidal ideation a year later, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics. Natasha A. Schvey, PhD, and colleagues used data from 10,312 children in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to examine associations between perceived discrimination and suicidality in youth. When adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, lifetime depressive disorders, and body composition, discrimination based on weight (OR, 2.19), race/ethnicity/color (OR, 3.21), and sexual orientation (OR, 3.83) was associated with greater odds of reporting suicidality 1 year later. There was no association between nationality-based discrimination and suicidality. Youth reporting discrimination based on two or more attributes had even greater odds of recent suicidality (OR, 4.72; P<0.001) compared with those reporting no discrimination. “Given that discrimination may be linked with suicidality beginning in childhood, clinicians should take special care to assess discrimination and victimization among youth, Dr. Schvey and colleagues wrote.
