One of the most serious – and little known – threats to the Latino community is the high rate of suicide and attempted suicide among Hispanic female teenagers. A little less than two years ago, reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the main public health organization in the United States – confirmed data coming both from experts and organizations knowledgeable about the issue, including Hispanic Federation member organizations that strive to combat this serious, complex social problem by focusing exclusively on the prevention and treatment of mental illness and emotional issues or by integrating these strategies into their programs and services.

A complex phenomenon

Regrettably, these services are crucial – the self-destructive tendencies of many adolescent Latinas are the most conspicuous aspect of a complicated phenomenon that affects all segments of the Latino community. Notwithstanding that rates of suicide and attempted suicide run highest among teens, across all other age groups Hispanics are the most likely to consider or carry out suicide when compared with other racial and ethnic groups in society.

The Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals, a Hispanic Federation member agency that is most involved in combating those destructive tendencies, indicated that "47 out of 100 young Latinas feel hopeless, and 24 out of 100 contemplate suicide. 15 out of 100 try to commit suicide, and 4 out of 100 end up in the hospital because of suicide attempts."

These alarming rates are even more so when compared with those of other sectors of the population. For example, while young Latinas have an attempted suicide rate of 15 percent, white female teenagers have a rate slightly above 9 percent, and black female teenagers have a rate of a little less than 10 percent.

The causes

According to a study conducted by the Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals, "Besides various inter-generational problems that can be contributing factors to suicidal tendencies, Hispanic female teenagers who were born in the United States are more at-risk because they must deal with more pressures."

Given that rates of suicide and attempted suicide by teenagers have not risen significantly in the countries where the majority of Hispanic immigrants come from, it is evident that the rise in those rates among Latinas born in the United States is related to immigration and immigrant families' adaptation – or lack of adaptation – to their new country.

Getting help

All of this data proves the need for prevention and treatment services for young Latinas and their families. These services should not only be bilingual, but also aware of and sensitive to cultural characteristics of the Hispanic community. Take, for example, the services that community organizations of the Hispanic Federation provide.

Besides the aforementioned Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals (www.ahmhp.org, 646-300-5855), other agencies belonging to the Hispanic Federation that provide mental health services include Alianza Dominicana, the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, the Community Association of Progressive Dominicans, Comunilife, Inc., the Hispanic Counseling Center, the Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, the South Bronx Mental Health Council, and the Spanish Speaking Elderly Council-RAICES. Not all of these agencies provide counseling or prevention services specifically centered on suicide, but they can provide referrals to other organizations that can provide the right support.

Other very valuable resources include emergency hotlines, like 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255, a national, anonymous, and bilingual emergency hotline focused on suicide prevention. The municipal government of the City of New York has an anonymous, Spanish-language hotline for people with mental health problems or questions about them; the number is 1-877-AYUDESE.

For those interested in contacting organizations belonging to the Hispanic Federation that provide a wide range of services to Hispanic teens, call 1-866-HF-AYUDA or 1-866-432-9832.