Recent Trends in Suicide and Homicide Among Blacks

Griffith, Ezra E. H.; Bell, Carl C.

doi:10.1001/jama.1989.03430160087036

Cited by 104 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The reason for the increasing suicide rate among teenagers, and the high teen suicide rate among Alaskans, remains perplexing. Some authors have emphasized the importance of individual risk factors for suicide, a viewpoint summarized by Griffith and Bell (1989), who state, “Strategies to reduce black suicide … should obviously be aimed at identifying and treating individuals” (p. 2268). For example, although these factors were not studied in this investigation, previous authors have associated teen suicide with alcohol or drug use (Ford et al, 1979; Marzuk et al, 1992; Shaffer & Hicks, 1994), the availability of methods for committing suicide, particularly guns (Kreitman, 1976); and psychiatric disorders, family environmental factors, violence portrayed by the media, and life stressors (Borges et al, 1995; Brent, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Gessner¹

1996

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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The author analyzed death certificate and U.S. census data to document trends in suicide rates among Alaskans 14–19 years of age. During 1979–1993, Alaskan teenagers had a suicide rate of 31.5 per 100,000 persons per year. Suicide rates varied up to sixfold by race, gender, and local census area of residence; in particular, Alaska Native males had one of the highest documented suicide rates in the world. Suicide rates increased two‐ to threefold during the study period for persons less than 18 years of age, while remaining stable for older teenagers. Within census areas, suicide rates correlated inversely with the percentage of all households headed by a married couple.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Gessner¹

1996

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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“…Similarly, suicidal thoughts and attempts were less often reported by Blacks (Schwab et al, 1972;Robins, West, & Murphy, 1977). Griffith and Bell (1989) reviewed the major theories advanced to explain the lower incidence of suicide among African Americans, including greater religiosity (Martin, 1984), reporting bias (Monk, 1987), different degrees of social integration (Gibbs & Martin, 1964), different socialization experiences that encourage independence and "outwardly" rather than "inwardly" directed aggression (Gibbs, 1988), and differences in reinforcement for emotional expressiveness (Prudhomme, 1938). Only a few studies have included both Whites and Blacks to compare the risk factors for suicide and suicidal behaviors.…”

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confidence: 97%

Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Predictors of Suicidal Behaviors: A Prospective Study of African Americans

Juon

Ensminger

1997

Child Psychology Psychiatry

103

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This study examined the lifetime prevalence of suicidal behaviors and their relation to social integration, depression, and aggression/substance use in a cohort of African Americans followed prospectively from first grade to age 32. Lifetime depressive moods in adulthood, lifetime use of cocaine, and frequent mobility were associated with suicidal behaviors for both males and females. For males, having been in a mother-alone or mother-absent family at age 6, childhood psychopathology, and not being married were related to suicidal behaviors. Females who reported high assault behavior in adolescence were more likely to report suicide attempts. The results suggest that social integration, depression, and aggression/drug use are important risk factors for suicidal behaviors in this African American population.

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“…In 2007, the rate of suicide among Whites was 4 times higher than Blacks (4.1 per 100,000 populations). Although suicide has traditionally been viewed as a problem that affects Whites more, the patterns of suicide among Blacks have changed significantly since the mid-1980s, such that older Blacks have the second highest suicide rates for the population (Griffith & Bell, 1989). Despite the public health significance of these changes, no study to date has examined the psychiatric risk for suicide and the prevalence of nonfatal suicidal behavior among older Black Americans with a nationally representative sample.…”

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confidence: 99%

Prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts among Black Americans in later life

Joe

Ford

Taylor

et al. 2013

Transcult Psychiatry

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This article provides the first national estimates of the prevalence and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior among older Black Americans. There is a lack of national data on suicide ideation and attempts across ethnic classifications of Blacks in a nationally representative sample. Data are a subsample from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a national U.S. adult household probability sample of 5,191 Black Americans. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess older Blacks for nonfatal suicidal behavior and 14 DSM-IV disorders. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to delineate patterns and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior. The estimated lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among older Blacks in the United States was 6.1% and 2.1%, respectively. On an average it took 2.5 and 5.7 years respectively to go from ideation to attempts or from planning to attempts. Surprisingly, among older Black adults, men reported attempting suicide and seriously consider taking their own lives more than women. Older Blacks at higher risk for suicide attempts were middle aged, had poorer health, were anxious, and had multiple DSM-IV disorders. The results also show that approximately 1 in 4 attempters and 2 in 5 ideators have never sought treatment for their emotional or psychological problems. Preventative care, particularly screening in primary care settings, should consider these findings when treating older Black Americans for psychiatric-related risk.

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Recent Trends in Suicide and Homicide Among Blacks

Cited by 104 publications

References 19 publications

Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Temporal and geographic trends of teen suicide in Alaska, 1979-93

Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Predictors of Suicidal Behaviors: A Prospective Study of African Americans

Prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts among Black Americans in later life

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