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Suicide among Black Children: An Integrated Model of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide and Intersectionality Theory for Researchers and Clinicians
Open accessAbstract
Recently, research has reported that the rates of suicide among Black children between the ages of 5 to 12-years-old are increasing as they are now more likely to commit suicide than White children. Yet, there are very few, if any, frameworks being used by researchers to explain the risks of suicide among Black children. Suicide research has overwhelmingly been focused on White youth thus leaving a critical gap in suicide research. This conceptual paper provides an integrated framework using the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide and Intersectionality theory, as a guide for researchers, clinicians, and practitioners to incorporate culturally appropriate techniques in their work as a way to prevent suicide among Black children. This framework highlights racial discrimination, mental health, socioeconomic status, and sexual/gender minority status to be the most preeminent, yet understudied factors leading to suicide risk among Black children in the United States.
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Citations
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Metadata
- Authors
- Opara, I., Assan, M. A., Pierre, K., Gunn, J. F., Metzger, I., Hamilton, J., & Arugu, E.
- Affiliations
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Public Health Management Corporation (US)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Opara, Ijeoma
- Venue
- Journal of Black Studies
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-06-15
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 611-631
- ISSN
- 0021-9347 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-4566
- PMC
- PMC8301214
- OpenAlex
- W3035132964
- Semantic Scholar
- 8c83ed33a7ceb30dd6f9b8b6c302707286e34cd3
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 7.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Black Studies (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R25MH087217)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Keywords
- child suicide, Black children, interpersonal theory of suicide, intersectionality, suicide prevention, racial discrimination, socioeconomic status, sexual and gender minority youth, mental health, culturally sensitive interventions, suicide risk factors
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