CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

African Americans

Although the rates of suicide for African Americans as a whole remain lower than other groups and has declined in recent years, suicide is still the third leading cause of death among African American youth. ref

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) data on violent deaths show that for 2002 suicide was:

• The leading cause of violent death for Blacks ages 65-74 of both sexes
• The second leading cause of violent death for Blacks ages 10-34 and ages 55-64 of both sexes ref

The primary means of suicide were firearms and suffocation. Black males had a far higher rate of suicide than black females, primarily taking their lives with firearms, but also through suffocation, poisoning, drowning, and falls. ref

Black females died by homicide far more than by suicide and used suffocation and poisoning more than firearms, as is consistent with male-female differences in suicide methods. ref

Among some African Americans, suicide is considered a taboo subject. ref

Reducing the stigma and bringing the issue out into the open are key prevention goals. Prevention efforts must take into account the gap between the suicide rates of black males and females. (Black females have a low suicide rate.) Some of the protective factors identified for black females include lower rates of hopelessness, being able to tough it out, resiliency, spiritual attributes, good interpersonal skills, and positive support systems. ref

Prevention efforts for Black youth focus on improving secondary education, increased employment opportunities, delinquency prevention, drug abuse prevention and treatment, increased use of mental health clinics in inner cities, and other means to increase the life options and coping skills of black youth. ref