Ethnic group differences in reasons for living and the moderating role of cultural worldview.

Abstract

Patterns of suicide resilience vary considerably across ethnic groups and are an understudied dimension of suicide science. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between cultural worldview and "reasons for living," an alternative index for suicide risk in a cross-cultural sample. The Reasons for Living Inventory and Worldview Analysis Scale were administered together with measures of hopelessness and depressive symptoms to 139 African American and 161 European American participants. Cultural worldview functioned as a moderator for African American but not European American participants in predicting reasons for living scores. African Americans who reported a less African-centered worldview also reported fewer reasons for living as hopelessness increased. However, African Americans who reported a more African-centered worldview reported less justification to live as depressive symptoms increased. These findings provide insight to suicide resilience profiles across and within ethnic groups and suggest that assessments of reasons for living and cultural correlates might have important implications for future research and clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).