Sexual Violence Among Youth in New Mexico: Risk and Resiliency Factors That Impact Behavioral Health Outcomes

Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Maryland Middle School Students

The aim of this study was to identify independent risk and protective factors associated with self-reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) among young adolescents by examining self-report data on mental health, substance abuse, violence involvement, social and economic challenges and supports, physical health and demographics in relation to STB. Data from nearly 27,000 students who completed the 2018-19 Maryland Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey/Youth Tobacco Survey (YRBS/YTS) were used to identify independent risk and protective factors associated with STB among middle school students (grades 6–8; ages 11-14). Twenty-three percent of students reported lifetime suicidal ideation and nine percent reported lifetime attempt(s). Independent risk factors associated with STB include depression, substance abuse or misuse, violence involvement, bullying victimization at school or electronically, sexual activity, and sleep deprivation. Protective factors include having an adult outside of school to confide in and feeling that teachers care and provide encouragement. Interactive effects by gender and/or race/ethnicity were observed for some factors in relation to STB. These results suggest that evidence-based programs and policies at the universal and selective/indicated levels in school settings are needed and should be introduced earlier on to address the widespread prevalence of STB in young adolescents. Program planners should take into consideration social, cultural and language needs when implementing and developing intervention strategies.

The Role of Substance Use and Resiliency Factors on Suicidal Ideation among Middle School Students

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation, an important risk factor for suicide, is strongly associated with substance use. Factors such as family cohesion, connection with friends, and social support can be protective against suicidal behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between suicidal ideation, substance use, and resiliency factors among middle school students.

METHODS

The 2013 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey provided the data for this analysis. Suicidal ideation was defined as affirmative responses to questions about thoughts of killing oneself and/or making a suicide plan. We used logistic regression to explore the association between suicidal ideation, substance use, and resiliency factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 23% of students reported suicidal ideation. Among girls, having a caring friend was associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation only among those not using other drugs. Among boys, having a caring friend decreased the odds of suicidal ideation regardless of substance use.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicidal ideation is prevalent among middle school children. Substance abuse is associated with suicidal ideation; however, individual and community support can be protective. Interventions aimed at reducing suicidal behaviors among middle school students should account for the impact of substance use and help strengthen social support.

Family, School, and Peer Support Are Associated With Rates of Violence Victimization and Self-Harm Among Gender Minority and Cisgender Youth

PURPOSE

Gender minority (GM) youth experience high rates of violence, and research on protective factors to reduce violence victimization and self-harm is lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine how family, school, peer, and community support influenced rates of violence victimization and self-harm among GM and cisgender adolescents.

METHODS

This research uses data from the 2017 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (N = 18,451). The main independent variable was gender, dichotomized into GM and cisgender, and the secondary independent variables were family, school, community, and peer support. Dependent variables were sexual and dating violence, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury. Logistic regression models were built for the four dependent variables, including demographics, support scores, and interaction terms between gender and support.

RESULTS

Six percent of high school students in New Mexico identified as GM are unsure of their gender. GM students experienced higher rates of violence and self-harm and lower levels of support than cisgender students. Among all students, family support was associated with lower odds of sexual violence and self-harm, while school support was associated with lower odds of dating violence and nonsuicidal self-injury. There were significant interactions between gender, violence, and support. The protective effects of support were less pronounced for GM students than for cisgender students.

CONCLUSIONS

Family and school support are associated with lower rates of some forms of violence and self-harm among adolescents. Additional support may be necessary to reduce harm among GM adolescents, who are at higher risk for violence and its sequelae.

Social Participation Strategies and Resilience in Mexican Population Affected by the 2017 Earthquakes

OBJECTIVE

To describe social participation strategies and resilience in the people affected by the 2017 earthquakes in Mexico.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1504 participants from Mexico City, State of Mexico, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla, and Morelos in November and December 2017. A nonprobabilistic convenience sampling method was used to recruit voluntary participants who met the inclusion criteria: age 18 or over and residents in damaged states at the time of the earthquakes. Postearthquake social participation strategies were assessed with the formats used in the postearthquake Chilean survey in 2010. The Spanish-validated version of the resilience scale RS-14 was applied for measuring resilience in the Mexican population.

RESULTS

The most frequent social participation strategies were related to emotional support and aid supplying water, food, and clothing. The highest resilience was observed in the state of Oaxaca and in Mexico City. Men, people age 40 or over, and people who defined themselves as indigenous were the most resilient.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors related to resilience were male gender, age over 40, did not participate in activities of help to the community, no household damage, and belonging to an indigenous community.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms in people exposed to the 2017 earthquakes in Mexico

This is the first study to produce a reliable valid measure of the symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) in Mexico, which has a high incidence of disasters, and has not had a measurement of PTSD frequency in the population. The objective was to analyze the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in persons who experienced the 2017 earthquakes in Mexico. A probabilistic sample of 1539 participants from Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Chiapas, Puebla, Morelos and Oaxaca during November and December of 2017 was screened using the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) for symptoms of post-traumatic stress. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 34.6%, with greater effects on the inhabitants of Oaxaca, Morelos and Puebla, women, indigenous people and people who experienced damage to their homes (p = 0.001). The DTS had a moderate negative correlation with the RS-14 and a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.957. The confirmatory factor analysis generated four factors that explain 50% of the variance, compatible with a Dysphoria model. We can conclude that one in three people exposed to earthquakes had symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Suicide Attempt Resiliency in American Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo Youth in New Mexico: The Influence of Positive Adult Relationships

The purpose of this study was to identify whether positive relationships with adults at home, school, and in the community are protective for suicide among American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Anglo adolescents. Using data from the New Mexico version of the 2015 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we found that positive relationships with adults affected past-year suicide attempts differently in youth from the 3 groups. The final multivariable model for American Indian/Alaska Native youth included only positive relationships with adults in the home. Among Hispanic and Anglo youth, adults in the home and also in the community were protective.