Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college age students (CDC, 2009a). Suicide risk factors have been extensively studied but not protective factors, such as perceived social support and reasons for living. Furthermore, few studies have examined the role of cultural factors, such as acculturation and religion or spirituality, in reasons for living. Racial differences in reasons for living were explored using MANOVA. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between religiousness/spirituality, perceived social support, acculturation, and reasons for living among college students. Religiousness and spirituality were negatively related to reasons for living. Perceived social support was minimally significantly related to reasons for living. No relationship was determined between acculturation and reasons for living. While there were no racial differences in reasons for living, significant differences in perceived social support, immersion to dominant society, and religiousness were found. Limitations of the study, clinical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.