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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 1/2013

01-02-2013 | Original Paper

Immigrant Density, Sense of Community Belonging, and Suicidal Ideation Among Racial Minority and White Immigrants in Canada

Authors: Stephen W. Pan, Richard M. Carpiano

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Immigrants represent a substantial proportion of suicides in Canada. This study assesses the hypothesis that high immigrant density fosters personal sense of community belonging among immigrants, and in turn, protects against suicide risk. This multilevel cross-sectional study is based on individual-level data from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 12,951 participants) merged with area-level data from the 2006 Canadian census (n = 57 health regions). Prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.3 %. Among rural racial minority immigrants, each 10 % increase in immigrant density associated with 67 % lower odds of suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.33, 95 % CI: 0.14–0.77); sense of community belonging did not mediate this association, but was independently associated with suicidal ideation (AOR = 0.44, 95 % CI: 0.28–0.69). Immigrant density was not associated with suicidal ideation among white immigrants or urban settings. Immigrant density and sense of community belonging may correlate with suicidal ideation through distinct mechanisms of association.
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Metadata
Title
Immigrant Density, Sense of Community Belonging, and Suicidal Ideation Among Racial Minority and White Immigrants in Canada
Authors
Stephen W. Pan
Richard M. Carpiano
Publication date
01-02-2013
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 1/2013
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9657-8

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