Discrimination and school belonging independently but not interactively associated with suicidal thoughts among adolescents: a brief report

Introduction Discrimination has been identified as a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation (SI) in adolescence, yet few studies have examined protective factors that may interact with this association. Methods Using cross-sectional data from the 2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), this brief report examines whether racial/ethnic discrimination is associated with higher odds of SI, and whether civic engagement and sense of belonging moderate this concurrent association. The sample included 1,169 adolescents aged 12–17 years ( M = 14.57; SD = 1.67). Results Binary logistic regressions revealed that racial/ethnic discrimination was significantly associated with higher odds of SI ( aOR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.46, 3.58], p < .001), while sense of belonging at school was significantly associated with lower odds of SI ( aOR = 0.66, 95% CI [0.55, 0.78], p < .001). Contrary to hypotheses, civic efficacy ( aOR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.87, 1.06], p = .389), community involvement ( aOR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.53, 1.32], p = .473) and community leadership ( aOR = 1.29, 95% CI [0.79, 2.09], p = 0.448) were not significantly associated with reduced odds of SI. None of the interactions were significant ( p > .05), though moderation analyses may have been underpowered. Discussion These findings emphasize that discrimination and school belonging were independently linked to SI, but no interactive effects emerged. Given that school belonging was linked to lower odds of SI, implementing school-based strategies that foster belonging may strengthen adolescent suicide prevention efforts in the U.S.