A study of Riverside County residents co-authored by a team of sociologists found that divorced immigrants are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as native-born Americans who are divorced.
The study published in Archives of Suicide Research in March was co-authored by Augustine J. Kposowa, a sociology professor at the University of California at Riverside UCR, Riverside County Sheriff’s Capt. James P. McElvain, who holds a Ph.D. in sociology from UCR, and sociology professor Kevin D. Breault of Middle Tennessee State University.
They also found that the longer immigrants lived in the United States, the less likely they were to kill themselves.
The authors said the findings, based on death records and census reports, indicate that policies aimed at reducing suicide should address depression, anxiety and acculturation-stress problems in immigrant communities, especially among new arrivals.
