Q2: What are the factors that can place youth at risk for suicide?
Dr. Isaiah Pickens One of the strongest predictors of suicidality is hopelessness. Recent research by Lisa Hooper and her colleagues has also shown that reactions to trauma can heighten suicidal thoughts. Despite the growing presence of programs that try to address young Black men’s needs like the Obama Administration’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, many young Black boys face traumatic experiences such as community violence and adverse childhood experiences such as exposure substance use that can increase a sense of hopelessness and may play a role in the rising rate of suicidality. In addition, access to services plays an important role for assessing suicide risk and treating underlying depression that may be driving behavior. Historically, disparities in access to healthcare coupled with stigma around using health services has placed Blacks who are experiencing mental health challenges at greater risk for not having treatment.
Dr. Angela Ali Common events that take place in our communities…such as violence and death can lead to traumatic stress in youth. Gone untreated, this can result in depression and anxiety that can lead to thoughts of suicide.
Kimya N. Dennis, PhD I work on this in terms of social and psychological factors. Including how girls and women are taught to be consumed with helping other people rather than themselves. Boys and men are taught “hetero-masculinity” meaning they should be unemotional, not get help if needed, and unattached to other people.
There are also cultural issues when most cultures are told that religiosity overcomes everything and doctors cannot be trusted. This encourages self-diagnosis, self-medicating, and self-healing.