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Acculturation and suicide: a case–control psychological autopsy study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2002

C.-S. LEE ,
J.-C. CHANG  and
A. T. A. CHENG
C.-S. LEE
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Loh-Tong Poh-Ai Hospital, I-Lan and Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; and School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
J.-C. CHANG
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Loh-Tong Poh-Ai Hospital, I-Lan and Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; and School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
A. T. A. CHENG
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychiatry, Loh-Tong Poh-Ai Hospital, I-Lan and Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; and School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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Abstract

Background. The relationships between acculturation and suicide were investigated in East Taiwan.

Methods. Psychological autopsy interviews were conducted for consecutive suicides from two native Taiwanese groups (Atayal and Ami) (N = 30 for each group); each of them was matched with two controls for age, sex and area of residence. The Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale was used to measure the extent of acculturation.

Results. A lower degree of social assimilation was significantly associated with a higher risk of suicide in the Atayal and the male groups. In multivariable regression analysis, a significant effect of low social assimilation on the risk of suicide was found in Atayal and in men, even after controlling for the effects of ICD-10 depressive episode and emotionally unstable personality disorder. Meanwhile, there was a significant trend across low, moderate and high social assimilation on suicide risk in Atayal and in men.

Conclusions. For the native Taiwanese, the stress from rapid acculturation into the main Chinese society is crucial to their mental health. It might be reduced through targeted social and educational programmes.

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , January 2002 , pp. 133 - 141
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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