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Mental Health and Suicide IMPACTS many, but research shows black teens are significantly impacted.
Resiliency is part of Americans’ DNA, but life events are impacting African American males and teens significantly. The Congressional Black Caucus, in response to the rising rate of suicide among teens of color, wrote a report entitled Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America – Read Report https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/ring_the_alarm-_the_crisis_of_black_youth_suicide_in_america_copy.pdf
What is Going On?
There is an emergency that requires everyone to help. This is a time when a simple hello, a listening ear, and a hand up could make all the difference.
According to a Forbes.com article, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health found that, although Whites continue to have higher rates of suicide, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death among Blacks between 15 and 24 years of age. [1]
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE
Having a mental illness significantly increases suicide risk among Black teens and adults. Although depression must be addressed, the strongest mental health predictor of attempted suicide in this population is anxiety.
HOW TO HELP
Prevention efforts should help enhance the existing psychological resources that help to buffer Black people against suicide risk and help protect them from sources of vulnerability. For example, Blacks who are socially connected through organized religious affiliation have a lower suicide risk.[2]
Experts are calling for a multi-pronged approach to address this crisis, including:
- Increased Research and Data Collection:Further research is needed to understand better the unique risk and protective factors for Black youth, particularly in understudied areas like rural and low-income populations.
- Culturally Competent Mental Healthcare: Training mental health professionals in cultural humility and structural competency, addressing implicit biases, and expanding the use of suicide screening tools are crucial steps. The Pew Charitable Trusts notes that this can lead to delays or prevent treatment.
- Targeted Prevention Programs: Developing and implementing suicide prevention programs designed explicitly for Black youth and communities is essential. SAMHSA’s Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative is one example of such an effort.
- Addressing Systemic Racism and Discrimination: Tackling racial discrimination and its impact on mental health requires broader societal changes and anti-racist approaches within healthcare institutions.
- Building Community and Family Support: Fostering strong family connections, promoting positive racial and ethnic identities, and utilizing culturally relevant coping strategies can serve as protective factors against suicidal behavior.
It is essential to recognize that this issue is complex and necessitates ongoing collaboration among researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and healthcare providers to develop effective solutions and support for Black youth in need.
SOUL SHOP: A GATHERING TO CREATE AN ACTION PLAN TO HELP. PLEASE JOIN TO CREATE A COMMUNITY IMPACT.
THE BEGINNING
On September 24, 2022, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers (BFNC), and the Erie County Coalition hosted the first Soul Shop™ for Black Churches.
Soul Shop™ for Black Churches is a one-day workshop designed for clergy, staff, lay pastors, and faith-based clinicians in the Black Church. Soul Shop provides training to help clergy leaders work with community members impacted by trauma and struggling with mental illness that may place them at risk for suicide.
2025 DETAILS AND REGISTRATION:
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Location: Memorial Temple Christian Ministries, 800 Sycamore St, Buffalo, NY
Registration includes:Admission to Training, Training materials, Breakfast, and Lunch.
*** This is a FREE event, but Registration is required.***
For more information, call (716)852-5065 ext 100
REGISTER ONLINE
https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/soul-shop-for-the-black-church
Sponsored by BFNC & Memorial Temple Christian Ministries
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INTERESTED IN READING MORE?
Black Adolescent Suicide Rate Reveals Urgent Need to Address Mental Health Care Barriers
SAMHSA’s Black Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative
https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention-initiatives/black-youth-suicide
More young Black Americans are taking their lives amid a lack of resources, a study finds
Mental and Behavioral Health – Black/African Americans
https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/mental-and-behavioral-health-blackafrican-americans
Why Are More Black Americans Committing Suicide?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/maiahoskin/2022/05/27/why-are-more-black-americans-committing-suicide/?sh=208244e01224
Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America
https://theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/ring_the_alarm-_the_crisis_of_black_youth_suicide_in_america_copy.pdf
African American Youth Suicide: Report to Congress
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/…Sep 30, 2021 · (CBC) Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health, “Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Suicide in America.” Consistent with the CBC report, the present report uses the term Black to include not only “African Americans but also individuals from the continent of Africa, the Caribbean, andhttps://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/topics/suicide-prevention/african_american_youth_suicide-report_to_congress.pdf
