Ethnic groups differ in rates of suicidal behaviors among youths, the context within which suicidal behavior occurs (e.g., different precipitants, vulnerability and protective factors, and reactions to suicidal behaviors), and patterns of help-seeking. In this article, the authors discuss the cultural context of suicidal behavior among African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Latino adolescents, and the implications of these contexts for suicide prevention and treatment. Several cross-cutting issues are discussed, including acculturative stress and protective factors within cultures; the roles of religion and spirituality and the family in culturally sensitive interventions; different manifestations and interpretations of distress in different cultures; and the impact of stigma and cultural distrust on help-seeking. The needs for culturally sensitive and community-based interventions are discussed, along with future opportunities for research in intervention development and evaluation.

This study investigated whether hopelessness and depression were risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in African American adolescents and looked at whether religious participation and religious coping protected these students from suicidality. Participants were 212 African American high school students (133 females, 79 males). The results of multiple and logistic regression analyses found that hopelessness and depression were risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempts. Religious coping style was significantly related to suicidal behaviors: Self-directed coping was related to increased hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts, and collaborative coping was related to increased reasons for living. Gender differences were found in symptoms of depression, religious coping style and religious participation. Results provide additional support for suicide interventions to target hopelessness and depressive symptoms and highlight the importance of examining the role of culturally salient variables, such as religious participation and religious coping style, when developing intervention programs for suicide.

Objective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily living, mental well-being, and experiences of racial discrimination among college students from communities of color. Participants: Sample comprised 193 ethnically diverse college students, aged 18 to 25 years (M ¼ 20.5 years), who were participating in virtual internships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional 16-item survey was developed as a partnership between two nonprofit organizations. The survey included both close-ended and open-ended questions assessing the impact of COVID-19. Results: The students of color reported disruptive changes in finances (54%), living situation (35%), academic performance (46%), educational plans (49%), and career goals (36%). Primary mental health challenges included stress (41%), anxiety (33%), and depression (18%). Students also noted challenges managing racial injustice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Higher education institutions will benefit from financially and emotionally supporting students of color during the COVID-19 pandemic and growing visibility of systemic racism.

Rates of suicide are increasing among African American adolescents and pose a significant public health concern. One area that has received little attention is the relationship between various types of social support and suicide, and the extent to which support moderates the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality. A total of 212 African American adolescents completed inschool surveys on three types of social support: family support, peer support, and community connectedness. The survey also addressed depressive symptoms and suicidality, as measured by reasons for living, a cognitive measure of suicide risk. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine direct and moderating relationships between types of social support and suicidality. The results indicated that increased family support and peer support are associated with decreased suicidality, and peer support and community connectedness moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality. Over a third of the variability in reasons for living was predicted by family support, peer support, and community connectedness. Implications for research and preventative interventions for African American adolescents are discussed. KeywordsAfrican American adolescents; depression; suicide; protective factors; social support; family support; peer support; community connectedness In 2006, suicide was ranked as the 11th leading cause of death among persons aged 10 years and older, accounting for 33,289 deaths. However, suicide is the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 24 years. It accounts for 12% of all deaths annually within this age group in the United States (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2010). Although overall rates of suicide attempts among adolescents declined from 2001 to 2007, rates among African American adolescents, a group that has traditionally had lower suicide rates, did not. Indeed, in 2009, African American adolescents reported higher rates of suicide attempts than Caucasian adolescents (CDC, 2010). Despite recent increases in suicide rates among AfricanCorrespondence concerning this article should be addressed to Samantha Matlin, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, The Division of Prevention and Community Research, 389 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511., samantha.matlin@yale.edu. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptAm J Orthopsychiatry. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 1.Published in final edited form as: Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2011 January ; 81(1): 108-117. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01078.x. NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptAmerican youth, Caucasian Americans continue to be the focus of most research on suicide (Molock, Puri, Matlin, & Barksdale, 2006). Key risk factors for suicide among youth include presence of a psychiatric disorder, a family history of suicide and psychopathology, stressful life events, and access to firearms (Gould, Greenberg, Velting, & Shaffer, 200...

In general, African Americans do not seek mental health treatment from formal sources at the same rates as Caucasians. The present study examined whether culturally relevant factors (i.e., perceived negative peer and family norms about help seeking) influence help-seeking intentions in a late adolescent African-American sample (n = 219) and whether there is a gender difference in the predictive strength between peer and family norms. Participants were primarily female (n = 144). Multiple regressions were implemented to explore the relationship between perceived norms and help-seeking intentions. Analyses revealed that males had higher perceived peer norms, and family norms were a stronger predictor of intentions than peer norms for females. Individually, peer norms and family norms were related to help-seeking intentions. When perceived norms were analyzed together, only negative family norms were related to intentions. Findings suggest that incorporating family norms is critical when developing interventions to increase formal service utilization among African Americans.