Date of Conferral

7-26-2024

Date of Award

July 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Julia Leischner

Abstract

With the growing South Asian immigrant population in the West, it is necessary to conduct suicide-related studies among this population to understand the reasons behind suicidal ideation faced by this population. This quantitative cross-sectional survey design study aimed to examine sociocultural factors that may be associated to the risk level of suicidal ideation among South Asian immigrants in the United States. A survey questionnaire was developed using a combination of demographic questions and existing instruments: the Suicide Ideation Attributes Scale, Religious Belief Salience Scale, Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale, and Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants—S. Data were collected from a total of 328 participants, aged 18 years and older. Afterward, data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results of this study indicated statistically significant associations with religious belief affiliation (p = .022, 95% CI = 13.72-17.58), religious belief salience (p = .019, 95% CI = 13.35-18.15), education level (p = .005, 95% CI = 13.44-17.30), employment status (p = .011, 95% CI = 12.75-16.64), marital status (p = .008, 95% CI = 14.13-17.16), acculturation (p = .003, 95% CI = 2.96-14.82), and diet habits (p = .004, 95% CI = 15.39-26.29) with the risk level of suicide ideation among South Asian immigrants in the United States. Findings of this study may be used to promote social change by influencing the expansion of suicide-related studies among this particular immigrant population or other populations where suicide-related studies are limited, raise awareness of suicidal ideation being associated with the sociocultural factors examined, and promote the development of suicide prevention strategies and resources tailored towards South Asian immigrants and beyond.

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