Familias Unidas' Crossover Effects on Suicidal Behaviors among Hispanic Adolescents: Results from an Effectiveness Trial

The long-term impact of Familias Unidas on suicidal behaviors among Hispanic 8th graders (N = 746) was examined along with parent-adolescent communication as a moderator of intervention effectiveness. At baseline, 9.2% (95% CI = 7.3%-11.6%) of adolescents reported suicide ideation and 5.7% (95% CI = 4.1%-7.7%) reported a past year suicide attempt. There were no significant intervention effects on suicidal behaviors; however, parent-adolescent communication was a moderator of suicide attempts in the past year, across the intervention (b = -.01, p =.01). Results suggest that Familias Unidas reduces suicidal behaviors among Hispanic adolescents with low levels of parent-adolescent communication despite no suicide-specific intervention content. Implications of these findings are discussed.