Clinicians’ Perspectives on Latinx Adolescent Suicidality in the Southeastern US: Where is the Support?

Overview: Latinx individuals are at higher risk for suicidal behaviors and thoughts, especially adolescents. This study highlights clinicians’ support system and continuing education needs and desires when working with Latinx adolescents struggling with suicidality in a new destination state. Findings and implications guide social work education, service delivery, and future research.Proposal text: In the United States, the population of Latinx adolescents (i.e., between ages 10 to 18) is significantly growing along with their rates of suicidality. The well-being of many of them is dependent on the mental healthcare services they receive. Clinicians, especially social work clinicians, are mandated to promote such well-being and engage in sociopolitical efforts towards ensuring individuals have access to mental health services if needed (National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, 2021). Despite all individuals’ right to health (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2008), many U.S. states, particularly new destination states, deny or create unnecessary hurdles for Latinx individuals to access mental health services. Providing these services in new destinations may be particularly challenging because of their exclusionary immigrant policy climates. Little is known regarding how clinicians in these states conceptualize, respond to, and work with Latinx adolescents struggling with suicidality. The poster will present a study aimed at addressing this knowledge gap.
Specifically, the poster will present a qualitative study conducted to explore clinicians’ perceptions of the context within which Latinx adolescents’ suicidality is situated and their reported strategies for intervening within a new destination state. The study was approved by the primary author’s University’s Institutional Review Board. Data was obtained through ten face-to-face semi-structured interviews with mental healthcare professionals working in a new destination state. The interview data were examined using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified from the interviews: (1) there is a lot, (2) trying to go above and beyond, and (3) hurdles.
Along with a brief description of the study’s background and methodology, the poster will describe the three themes in detail. These themes ultimately highlight that mental healthcare professionals need and desire more support when working with Latinx adolescents struggling with suicidality. Furthermore, the findings will be presented in terms of their implications for social work education, service delivery, and future research.