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Cited by 35Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesRacial and Ethnic Identity ResearchHomicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

Coloring Outside the Lines: Making Black and Brown Lives Matter in the Prevention of Youth Suicide

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Bath, Eraka, Njoroge, Wanjikũ F.M.·2021·Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.09.013
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Abstract

Black children are killing themselves in increasing numbers and have been for the past 20 years.1 Importantly, these increasing rates of suicidality in young Black children, 5-11 years of age, was first identified in 2015.2 This finding was striking, as African American children had been historically noted to have lower suicidality rates than their non-Latinx White (NLW) peers.2 Of further concern is the fact that while suicidality rates had been steadily increasing in African American children for more than 2 decades, NLW same-aged peers had seen a decrease in suicidality during this same period (Table 1). While our field has made great strides in suicide prevention, there have been glaring omissions with respect to exploration of racial/ethnic differences and how experiences of racism may amplify risk. We have not mobilized to address these disparities in care and still lack clear understanding of the reasons behind this disturbing trend, particularly given the diminution in NLW suicide rates during the same time period. What has become increasingly clear though is that the experiences of Black children have been left out of our collective response to youth suicide.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.09.013

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  • BIPOC young people may be more likely to visit an emergency department owing to many obstacles to receiving care in other clinical settings, including exposures to structural racism and social determinants of health.

    “black, indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC) young people may be more likely to visit an emergency department owing to many obstacles to receiving care in other clinical settings, including exposures to structural racism and social determinants of health.”

    From Suicide in young people: screening, risk assessment, and intervention (2023) · cites this paper as [86]

    The sections on suicide prevention and on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment describe disparities in BIPOC youths’ access to behavioral health care and identify structural racism and social determinants of health as barriers. They do not say that BIPOC youths are more likely to visit an emergency department, or link such visits to those barriers. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • BIPOC young people may also be less connected to mental health treatment and be more likely to present in the emergency department with problems other than mental ill health.

    “BIPOC young people may also be less connected to mental health treatment and be more likely to present in the emergency department with problems other than mental ill health.”

    From Suicide in young people: screening, risk assessment, and intervention (2023) · cites this paper as [87]

    The section on risk factors through a JEDI lens reports disparities in Black and Brown youths’ use of behavioral health services, supporting the treatment-connection part of the claim. Neither that section nor the passages on assessment and treatment address whether BIPOC youths are more likely to present to emergency departments with problems other than mental ill health. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The need for system-level approaches is reflected in documented associations between public policy and suicide rates by state in the U.S. as well as calls to measure and mitigate political determinants of suicide and racial disparities in suicide prevention.

    “The need for such system-level approaches is reflected in documented associations between public policy and suicide rates by state in the U.S. (92) as well as calls to measure and mitigate political determinants of suicide and racial disparities in suicide prevention (91, 93).”

    From Structural Racism and Suicide Prevention for Ethnoracially Minoritized Youth: A Conceptual Framework and Illustration Across Systems (2022) · cites this paper as [91]

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Cites

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1 of the 15 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [6]6. Gee GC, Ford CL. Structural racism and health inequities. Du Bois Rev. 2011;8: 115-132.
  2. [16]16. Fisher BW. School Resource Officers, Exclusionary Discipline, and the Role of Context [dissertation]. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University; 2016.
  3. [18]18. Smedley BD, Stith AY, Nelson AR, eds. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Washington, D.C: The National Academies Press; 2002.
  4. [22]22. All statements expressed in this column are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. See the Instructions for Authors for information about the preparation and submission of Commentaries.

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Authors
Bath, E., & Njoroge, W. F. M.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
Corresponding author
Bath, Eraka
ORCID
Venue
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-01
Volume
60
Issue
1
Pages
17-21
ISSN
0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jaac.2020.09.013
OpenAlex
W3090687843
Cited by
35
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 2
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (K12DA000357)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
Keywords
youth suicide, suicide prevention, Black children, African American children, racial disparities, racism, racial and ethnic differences, child mental health
MeSH terms
Suicide Prevention, Black or African American, Child, Humans, Peer Group, White People

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