Clinician Perspectives on Challenges among Latinx Adolescents with Suicidal Behaviors and their Families

There is a need to develop culturally relevant psychological care informed by the experiences of clinicians working with Latinx youth and families. The present qualitative interview-based study explored the challenges Latinx adolescents with suicidal behaviors and their families confront from the perspective of mental health providers. Ten interviews were conducted with mental health clinicians from various clinical settings. An ecological and developmental theoretical framework was used to analyze the data. The five overarching themes identified were: 1) Acculturation and enculturation gap challenges between caregivers and adolescents, 2) Language and cultural gaps with the host society affecting families’ ability to navigate the educational and mental health service systems, 3) Contextual and mental health factors affecting the family, 4) Social factors affecting family life, and 5) Adolescent suicidal crisis and well-being. Results aligned with the gap-distress theory in which caregiver and adolescent differences in acculturation and enculturation increase cultural related conflicts between them subsequently augmenting suicide risk when combine with other factors. Authors posit that an assessment of acculturation and enculturation gaps and their possible impact on caregiver and adolescent communication and the wellbeing of adolescents is a critical part of the clinical formulation when working with this population. Other clinical and suicide prevention implications are also discussed, including addressing poverty and structural racism as suicide prevention strategies.