I was reading an article in Mentacide yesterday (“Deathwish”) and ran across this research article today. It supports Baruti’s point that “those most deeply affected [by their disadvantage] often choose durational, if not immediate, suicide. Most often the long road to physical death is chose over the short one because of a greater fear of the unknown and an internalization of a lifetime of play priority. They subconsciously opt to slowly self-destruct through refusing to learn, engaging in Black-on-Black violence…and generally going around looking for trouble and extreme, risk-taking behavior. This road, of course, is supported by white supremacist society, which egotistically and economically profits from this drawn out self-destruction.”

7/1/2009

Youth Who Believe They Will Die Young More Likely To Be Diagnosed With HIV/AIDS

Teenagers who believe that they will die at a young age are seven times more likely than “optimistic” teenagers to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in early adulthood, according to a study released on Monday and published in the July issue of Pediatrics. The study is based on a survey of 20,594 teenagers in grades seven through 12 who were interviewed between 1995 and 2002, which found that 14.7 percent of respondents said they had at least a 50/50 chance of dying before age 35. The findings challenge the belief that teenagers engage in risky behavior because they think they are invulnerable to harm. Instead, they likely engage in such behavior because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake.

Health Status and Behavioral Outcomes for Youth Who Anticipate a High Likelihood of Early Death

http://pediatrics.aappublications.or…ract/124/1/e81

Iris Wagman Borowsky, MD, PhD, Marjorie Ireland, PhD and Michael D. Resnick, PhD

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between adolescents’ perceived risk for dying and their involvement in risk behaviors is unknown. We sought to determine the proportion of US youth who anticipate a high likelihood of early mortality and relationships with health status and risk behaviors over time.

METHODS: We analyzed data from times 1 (1995), 2 (1996), and 3 (2001–2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of youth in grades 7 through 12. The relationship between perceived risk for premature mortality and health behaviors/outcomes was assessed by using bivariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: At time 1, 14.7% of the 20594 respondents reported at least a 50/50 chance that they would not live to age 35. In adjusted models, illicit drug use, suicide attempt, fight-related injury, police arrest, unsafe sexual activity, and a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS predicted early death perception at time 2, time 3, or both (adjusted odds ratios: 1.26–5.12). Conversely, perceived early mortality at time 1 predicted each of these behaviors and outcomes, except illicit drug use, at time 2 or time 3, most strongly a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS (adjusted odds ratios: 7.13 [95% confidence interval: 2.50–20.36]).

CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent involvement in risk behaviors predicted a belief in premature mortality 1 and 7 years later. Reciprocally, adolescents’ perceived risk for early death predicted serious health outcomes, notably a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in young adulthood. Given its frequency and influence on behavior and health, adolescents’ perceived risk for early death should be incorporated into psychosocial assessments and interviews.