James Donaldson on Mental Health - New Research Shows One in Four Black Middle School Students Contemplate Suicide

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A study opens in new tab/window in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), opens in new tab/window published by Elsevier, reports that approximately 28% of a national sample of Black middle school adolescents reported suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts. While previous research studies have investigated suicide among young adolescents, few studies have examined suicide risk specifically among Black middle school adolescents.

In conjunction with a post-pandemic national child mental health crisis, rates of suicide are increasing among early adolescent Black youth populations. This study investigated data from the 2019 Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey with a sample of 7,643 self-identifying Black youth to understand suicide prevalence rates and risk factors. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations between seven variables, including sex, weapon carrying, weight perceptions, grades, grade level, school bullying, cyberbullying, suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts, were examined.

Findings revealed prevalence rates of about one in four Black middle school students for suicidal thoughts, one in six for suicidal planning, and one in ten for attempting suicide. Students who identified as female, victims of cyberbullying, carrying a weapon, or being very overweight experienced significantly higher odds of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts.

Co-authors Sonyia Richardson, assistant professor of social work and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Laura Gunn, professor of epidemiology and community health and affiliate faculty in the School of Data Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, emphasized the urgency and need for cultural approaches to identifying and screening for suicide risk and protective factors among Black middle school adolescents to support prevention efforts.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
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Richardson highlighted that suicidal behavior in youth is an emergency: “It is important to proactively ask adolescents about suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts. Some adolescents may exhibit risk factors or conditions that increase their likelihood of suicidal behaviors, as highlighted in our study. For youth displaying any suicidal behaviors, further assessment is essential. It is unacceptable to wait until adolescents have developed a suicide plan or attempted to die by suicide to link them to resources. Instead, every family should be informed about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a free resource available to help those in distress.”

Given the high rates of suicidality among adolescents, experts believe a targeted approach is crucial to identify and address the root causes and predictors of suicide risk. Study researchers say policies should focus on the specific risk factors relevant to Black middle school adolescents, such as bullying (both in school and online), weapon carrying, and sex, while assessing feelings of safety. They also suggest that medical providers screen youth for acute suicide risk, including assessing ideation, planning, and previous attempts.

Photo by August de Richelieu on Pexels.com https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-new-research-shows-one-in-four-black-middle-school-students-contemplate-suicide/