(PS13-17) Pressure to Be Thin, Self-oriented Perfectionism, Self-harm, and Suicidal Ideation in Latinx Youth

Introduction: Suicide stands as the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-14 (Ehlman et al., 2022). A recognized link exists between eating disorders and suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB). However, there is limited existing research delving into the connection between pressure to be thin and SIB, particularly in Latinx youth (Patel et al., 2021). While distinct from eating disorders, the pressure to be thin is closely associated with eating pathology and exerts similar adverse effects on the mental well-being of young individuals (Stice & Bearman, 2001). Furthermore, a known correlation exists between body image, pressure to be thin, and perfectionism (Doyle & Catling, 2022). Latinx youth face an elevated risk of internalizing symptoms, such as depressive symptoms, which have been identified as predictive of SIB (Vélez-Grau & Lindsey, 2022). Additionally, Latinx youth have been found to have high levels of maladaptive perfectionism, which has been linked to depressive symptoms (Goya Arce & Polo, 2017). While there is some literature examining the relation between perfectionism and perfectionism, to date, there is no research examining the relation between perfectionism and self-harm and suicidal ideation in Latinx youth. This study advances current literature by examining the potential mediating role of self-oriented perfectionism in the relation between perceived pressure to be thin and SIB in Latinx youth.

Method: The sample includes 709 Latinx youth between 5th-7th grade (M=11.6; 53.7% female) who were mostly of 2^nd generation (U.S.-born with at least one parent non-U.S.-born; 72.6%) and Mexican American (59.9%) or Puerto Rican (14.2%). The data were collected from classroom surveys across 9 Chicago Public Schools. Pressure to be thin was assessed using the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure to be Thin (Stice & Whiteton, 2002). Self-Oriented Perfectionism was assessed using the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale Junior Form (Hewitt et al., 2011). Two items from the Youth Self Report (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) were used to measure self-harm/suicidal attempts (item #18; “I deliberately try to hurt or kill myself”) and suicidal ideation (item #91; “I think about killing myself").

Results: Regression analyses were conducted using SPSS v.26.0 and the PROCESS v.4.3 macro (Hayes, 2022) command. Mediation analyses revealed that the indirect effect of pressure to be thin on self-harm through the mediator self-oriented perfectionism was significant (b = 0.019, 95% CI [0.003, .036], p < 0.05). Similarly, the indirect effect of pressure to be thin on suicidal ideation through the mediator self-oriented perfectionism was significant (b = 0.025, 95% CI [0.008,0.044], p < .001). Moderated mediation analyses will be carried out to examine gender as a potential moderator.

Discussion: These results highlight the importance of considering both external societal influences and internalized perfectionistic tendencies in the development of prevention and intervention strategies targeting self-harm and suicidal ideation.