International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 11, Issue 8, August 2021 348 ISSN 2250-3153 This publication is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY. http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.08.2021.p11645 www.ijsrp.org Suicidal Behaviors Among Youths in Mississippi, United States. Nwanne Onumah * Austine Onyia ** Faith Iseguede *** * Dept of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jackson State University ** Dept of Health and Policy Management, School of Public Health, Jackson State University *** Dept of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jackson State University DOI: 10.29322/IJSRP.11.08.2021.p11645 http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.08.2021.p11645 Abstract- Suicidal behaviors play a major role in suicidal deaths among adolescents in the United States. This study examines the prevalence of suicidal behaviors among youths in Mississippi by age, race/ethnicity, grade, and gender. Data were analyzed from the Mississippi Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2019. The survey employed a representative sample of students in grades 9 – 12. The prevalence of suicidal behaviors among participants was adjusted for gender, age, race, and grade reference data from the CDC growth chart. Differences in the groups were examined with univariate t-test statistical analysis at p- value<0.05 and frequency distribution to determine the percentage differences. Female youths had higher prevalence rates of seriously considering suicide (23.2%) and making a plan to attempt suicide (14.1%) when compared to the male participants with prevalence rates of 14.1% and 12.1% respectively. Black female youths (16.2%) had higher rates of attempting suicide than the black male youths (13.0%). However, male youths (4.0%) had a higher rate of “suicide attempt with an injury that requires medical treatment" when compared to females (3.4%); with the black male youths (13.0%) having higher rates than the white male youths (7.8%). Participants in 12th grade had higher rates of suicide attempts when compared to other grades. There is a concerning increased risk of suicidal behaviors especially among male youths and black youths in Mississippi. Prevention and intervention programs should target these groups in other to reduce these suicidal behavioral risks. Index Terms- Suicidal Behaviors, suicide, prevalence, youths, Mississippi I. INTRODUCTION uicide has increasingly become a serious concern in public health. Every year, over 700,000 people commit suicide globally and many more attempt suicide [1]. Suicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years in the United States (US) [2]. Every day, over 3,703 suicide attempts are made by young people in grades 9-12 nationwide [2]. Researchers have demonstrated that adolescents and young adults die more from suicide than from birth defects, influenza, heart disease, cancers all combined [3]. Suicidal behaviors are essential contributors to suicide in late adolescence [4]. The initiation of suicidal behavior begins during the period of adolescence and young adulthood [5,6]. Suicidal behavior refers to a range of ideas or thoughts which center around suicide or death referred to as “suicidal ideation” and extends to the actual completion of suicide [7]. Between suicidal ideation and completion of suicide are suicide threats and suicide attempts, which are verbal statements or behavioral acts to suggest an intent to take one’s life [8,9]. Evidence shows that both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt have been linked with different psychosocial factors.[10] These risk factors include but are not limited to hopelessness, low self-perception, early traumatic life experiences, and drug use contribute immensely to suicidal behaviors [10,11]. Studies have demonstrated other fixed risk factors that increase the risk for suicidal behavior including male gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning sexual orientation, family history of mental health issues, family history of suicide or suicidal attempt [12]. Individuals who have personal mental problems have a history of suicide attempts, history of sexual abuse, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorders, and sleep disorders are highly at risk for more expression of suicidal behaviors [12,13]. In the United States, the rates of suicide doubled between the 1960s and 1990s in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years and tripled among those 10 to 14 years of age [14,15]. Studies also show that among adolescents and youths in the year 2000, the suicide rate was 8 per 100,000 with no significant change in the trend between 2000 and 2007, although the trend increased between 2007 and 2014 [16]. Various researchers have demonstrated disparities between different groups when compared to others. These suicide rate variations occur by race/ethnicity, age, and other factors. Amongst the various racial groups/ ethnicity, Non- Hispanic White and American Indian/Alaska Natives record the highest rates of suicide in the US [17]. Studies have shown that youths who identify as LGBTQ have higher rates of suicidal behaviors than youths who identify as being “straight” [18]. Other studies have demonstrated that between 1991 and 2017, there were significant decreases in self-reported suicidal ideation and plan across all sex and racial/ ethnic groups with females having significant decreases in suicidal attempts. Researchers also found that black male youths had a significant linear increase in the attempts to commit suicide, which led to injury [19]. In Mississippi (MS), suicide is the 6th leading cause of death among youths between the ages of 10 to 14 years [20]. Research has shown that about 35,000 children and youths in MS have severe and persistent mental health needs [21]. National Survey of Children’s Health report of 2011 to 2012 reveals that about 20% of MS adolescents between 12 to 17 years old have one S