Impact of Suicide Literacy in Hispanic/Latinx Communities

Suicide prevention is a critical public health priority, often hindered by cultural stigma, misinformation, and barriers, particularly within the Hispanic/Latinx community.The effectiveness of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Talk Saves Lives™ suicide prevention program in enhancing suicide literacy within this population was measured in this study.Although research emphasizes cultural stigma and the need for culturally responsive interventions, little is known about their specific impact on suicide literacy.Guided by social cognitive theory, the impact of two versions of the Talk Saves Lives™ program: Version 1, a direct Spanish translation, and Version 2, a culturally adapted version for the Hispanic/Latinx population were assessed.One hundred and fifteen Spanish-speaking Hispanic participants from Central Florida were recruited and divided between the two program versions.Pre-and posttests using the Literacy of Suicide Scale (LOSS) measured changes in suicide literacy, and t-tests were used to analyze the data and evaluate the relative effectiveness of the two versions.The findings revealed statistically significant gains in suicide literacy for both versions of the program.Specifically, participants in the culturally adapted program demonstrated a 48.6% greater mean score increase on the LOSS compared to participants in the translated version.These results underscore the importance of cultural adaptation in suicide prevention, demonstrating that culturally responsive education effectively enhances knowledge, reduces stigma, and ultimately saves lives.These findings also provide guidance to social workers and policymakers on developing culturally responsive strategies to reduce disparities and strengthen community-based prevention initiatives.