New study reveals alarming increase in suicide rates among young Asian American and Pacific Islander population

While suicide rates have decreased for white populations over the past two decades, they have increased in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Yet, there are very few studies that examine trends of suicidal death across sexes in AAPI young adults aged 18–25.

A new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that over the 21-year period (1999–2020), there has been a notable increase in the prevalence of suicidal death among AAPI young adults across both sexes, with a sharp increase among AAPI male young adults starting in 2008.

The findings appear online in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry.

“Our study highlights a growing mental health crisis within this community that often goes unnoticed. More importantly, there is a severe, dire lack of public health attention and federal funding on this issue,” explains corresponding author Seungbin Oh, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, assistant professor of psychiatry at the school.

Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Multiple Cause-of-Death files spanning from 1999–2020, the researchers analyzed trends of suicidal death among Asian American young adults aged 18-25.

They found that during the 21-year study period, a total number of 4,082 AAPI young adults died by suicide, with the annual average suicidal rate being 3.47 per 100,000 individuals. Of those deaths, the majority (74.9%) were males while 25.1% were females.

From 1999–2020, the rate of suicide increased for both AAPI males and females. Specifically, males reported a 60.7% increase in their suicide rate, from 10.78% to 17.32%. AAPI females reported an increase of 64%, from 4.70% to 7.71%. The peak suicide rate for males was in 2019 at 19.69%, while for females, it was in 2020 at 7.71%.

According to the researchers, these suicidal actions are often not preceded by visible warning signs, suggesting that AAPI may silently endure their suicidal thoughts before deciding to act on them.

“Given the ‘hidden ideation’ phenomenon, where AAPI individuals may not show visible warning signs before a suicide attempt, there is a critical need for culturally tailored early detection and preventive strategies,” says Oh.

The researchers hope that this study will ultimately lead to the development of more effective, culturally sensitive mental health interventions that can address the unique challenges faced by AAPI young adults.

“By understanding and mitigating the rising trends of suicidality, we aim to improve the overall quality of life and mental well-being for all individuals in this community,” adds Oh.