Suicide is no longer just a white problem

In 1969, internationally acclaimed author and professor of psychiatry Herbert Hendin published the book “Black Suicide.” Hendin’s research challenged the prevailing notion in the United States that suicide is solely a “white problem,” highlighting much higher-than-normal rates of suicide among African American males living in New York City between the ages of 20 and 35.

Hendin also argues that systemic racism and other forms of social injustice often play a significant role in one’s decision to take their own life. Certainly, Hendin’s text relied on a relatively small sample size and focused on a single urban area. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that suicide is becoming a critical issue in the Black community.

Suicide rates among Black youth, for example, have historically tracked much lower than their white counterparts. That is until recently.

A number of studies, including brand new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveal that for the first time ever the suicide rate among Black adolescents between the ages of 10 to 19 exceeds that of white youth in the same age bracket.  Moreover, a Congressional Black Caucus report notes that suicide among African American youth is “increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group.” 

So, what has caused such a dramatic shift in the past few years?

“The topic of suicide has been taboo in the Black community for centuries, especially among Black boys and Black men,” says Dr. Bravada Garrett-Akinsanya, co-founder and executive director of the African American Child Wellness Institute. “Its discussion has been tempered for several reasons, including religious beliefs.”

She also references the groundbreaking work of Sean Joe, professor of social development at Washington University in St. Louis and an international authority on Black suicidal behavior. “Professor Joe has done a lot of research on what is called ‘suicide by proxy,’” Garrett-Akinsanya says. “Joining a gang for instance, plus passive or proxy methods such as drug and alcohol use and other high-risk behaviors.”

Today, however, we are seeing a significant rise in Black adolescents attempting suicide through means including suffocation, the use of firearms, and parasuicidal acts such as cutting.

From 2018 to 2022, the suicide rate among Black adolescents increased by well over 50%.

And it’s not just a problem among teens. “The Journal of the American Medical Association” (JAMA) reports that Black children between the ages of five and 12 are twice as likely to die of suicide as their white peers. 

Some have cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder as contributing factors to these trends. That said, these trends began prior to either of those events. So again, what is behind this shift?

As Lester Bentley, a Twin Cities-based mental health clinician and Lifetime Member of the Association of Black Psychologists explains, “Nothing happens in a vacuum. When we get reports like this, the sensationalist aspect of it makes it the next big thing.

“But we can’t forget that children of African descent constantly live under the specter of anti-Black racism, a reality designed to systematically diminish their lives, make them invisible, make them ‘less than.’” 

It’s also vital to note, accordingly to Bentley, that open hostility toward Black people and a reimagined brand of in-your-face racism only continue to escalate in America’s current social and political landscape.

“It’s a must that we understand the psychological and emotional effects of racial oppression,” Bentley continues. “When our children continue to struggle with racial trauma, stress, personal pain and frustration, that cocktail can easily lead them down the road to self-devaluation and eventually nihilism.”

Another major concern regarding the spike in suicide among Black adolescents is the increase in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Black LGBTQ youth. A report by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health states, “Black LGBTQ youth face compounding discrimination due to their intersecting minoritized identities,” a point that Bentley further expands on.

“Suicide is higher among these youth because they feel an all-out assault against their personhood,” he states. “No one is more vulnerable. They are being vilified socially, politically, religiously. The hatred is so intense, so vile. Some of the language they hear is akin to someone telling them, ‘If you’re not one of us, then you should just go somewhere and die.’”

When considering Black adolescents across the board, the Pew Research Center cites that they “are already significantly less likely than their peers in other demographic groups to receive mental health care.”

How can we begin to tackle some of these obstacles and make sure that Black youth are getting all the tools, resources and support they need? First, says Bentley, there is a need to increase social engagement in schools and help kids make meaningful connections, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. 

Likewise, youth need to participate in activities where they can feel a part of something and develop their identity, instead of spending so much time on social media or playing video games. Schools also need the tools to assess the emotional well-being of young people.

“When our kids are at home,” insists Bentley, “we must raise awareness of parents and caregivers around behavioral changes. If they notice something out of the ordinary, you can’t simply chalk it up to puberty, or that ‘my child is moody.’ This is when we have to intervene and find out what’s going on.”

And perhaps above all, asserts Bentley, we need to take an integrated approach and treat the problem of adolescent suicide holistically.

Bentley cites Sherry Molock, a clinical psychologist at George Washington University, who states, “Part of the reason why we haven’t made a dent in suicide deaths is that we only focus on individualized solutions. But people don’t live in an individualized world.”

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