One of the most pervasive and damaging falsehoods within and outside of the African American community is that we don’t commit suicide. Considering the disturbingly meteoric rise of suicides among African Americans in the last twenty years, (and specifically black men), it’s a myth that should be immediately dispelled.
Recently there has been more public attention on this issue. In December Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy lost his eighteen year old son James to suicide. Dungy’s loss brought about a new level of focus. According to Dr. Alvin Poussaint, psychiatrist and author of ‘Lay My Burden Down: Unraveling Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis among African Americans,’ suicide is more common than people think in black communities.
“Sometimes when cases like Dungy’s appear, it generates a lot of press and people get in touch more with reality, since there are some black people who believe black people never commit suicide,” says Poussaint. “So this drives home the reality, and makes people nervous enough to wonder about their own families and children, and perhaps be more open about public awareness about suicide and suicide prevention, and also depression. Most people who commit suicide are depressed, so when we can recognize signs of depression we can steer them to help.”
In fact, over the last twenty years, suicide rates among black males between 15 and 19 increased 114%, which when calculated against young white males -- both groups place on equal footing. What is most frightening about the increase is that there isn’t any discernable explanation for it. Poussaint believes that the answer to this pandemic lies in prevention. “People should talk about it and get it on the table, and get rid of the notion that it’s a sign of family weakness or illness,” he encourages. “When a family member commits suicide, they feel like they’re to blame and something is wrong in their family. They have to understand that depression and suicide is caused by chemical imbalances. It’s not always a psychological thing gone wrong. That may precipitate it, but we know now that a lot of depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and that’s why a lot of anti-depressant medications can correct that and make people better. About 80 percent of people who go for treatment for depression get better, either through talk therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.”
Prevention is easier said than done. When it comes to the African American community and specifically the black church, suicide is looked at as a sin. The most surprising trend is that many religious institutions are now starting to create mental health programs. Howard University works in conjunction with N.O.P.C.A.S. (The National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide), an independent organization that specializes in training professionals on how to recognize signs of depression. Donna Bonds, the president and founder of N.O.P.C.A.S. believes that the first step in suicide prevention is changing community perceptions. “The black church is a major institution in our community; it’s where many of us choose to go for help,” she says. “If ministers were trained to recognize signs of depression among parishioners, they could refer the troubled individuals to the proper professionals, then suicide and depression in our community could be curved greatly.”
Lessening the stigma regarding mental health issues within the black community is the only obvious way to combat suicide -- the third leading death nationally among young people between the ages of 15 – 24. Regrettably the myth isn’t true – we are killing ourselves.
For information regarding suicide prevention please visit www.suicideinfo.ca.
