An empirical examination of suicidality among multiracial college students

The association between suicidal ideation (SI) and a set of strengths-based, malleable psychological factors related to well-being was examined among Multiracial college students and compared with monoracial college students in a diverse sample of 1,446 Asian Americans, 757 African Americans, 1091 Latino/a Americans, 382 Middle Eastern/East Indian Americans, 7,352 White Americans, and 797 Multiracial Americans. Data from the 2016 USDAS Survey was analyzed and showed that Multiracial students endorsed significantly higher levels of SI relative to their monoracial peers. Further multiple regression analyses revealed that among Multiracial students, perceived burdensomeness, emotion-focused coping self-efficacy, sense of coherence, search for meaning in life, social connectedness, and resilience significantly and uniquely predicted SI. Additionally, significant interactions were found such that Multiracial versus monoracial self-identification moderated the relationships between sense of coherence and SI, perceived burdensomeness and SI, and social connectedness and SI. Findings with regards to the establishment of an evidence-based understanding of SI among young Multiracial Americans, along with suggestions for future research are discussed