Research recently published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association shows that young Vietnamese Americans have the highest suicide rate among all Asian American youth. But that’s only half the story.

The study from lead researcher Anthony Bui of the University of Washington and the Seattle Children’s Research Institute found at even greater risk are the smaller Asian American subgroups.

It’s been widely reported that suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans ages 15-24, but the study is one of the few to break down that data.

Groups classified as “all other” include Bangladeshis, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodians, Hmong, Indonesians, Japanese, Laotians, Malaysians, Mongolians, Nepalese, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Taiwanese and Thais.

Youth Group Suicide Rate*

The “all other” category is made up of groups for which there is not enough data for reliable individual analysis.

All Other 13.37

Vietnamese Americans 10.57

Asian Americans 9.17

Korean American 8.44

Filipino American 7.64

Chinese American 7.59

Indian American 6.91

*deaths per 100,000

“Few public health studies currently divide Asian Americans into more specific ethnic categories,” said Bui to Seattlechildrens.org. “While we know that suicide is a leading cause of death for Asian American youth and young adults, this research is one of the first attempts to understand how these rates differ across Asian ethnicities.”

Bui suggests his study amplifies the need to address the needs of these higher risk subgroups.

The overall suicide rate among all youth is 10.77 per 100,000, according to Seattle Childrens. That’s higher than the overall suicide rate of 9.17 among Asian American youth.

“The important takeaway of this study is that we don’t lump data about Asian Americans into one large category, because when we do, it hides underlying disparities,” Bui said. “By disaggregating these data we gain a better understanding of what’s happening in these communities and which interventions could really help.”

Anyone considering suicide of any age can dial 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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