By Arielle H. Sheftall and Adam Bryant Miller, JAMA Pediatrics, June 28, 2021
In December 2019, the Congressional Black Caucus released “Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America,” which called for attention to rising rates of suicide and suicidal behavior among Black youth in the United States. Indeed, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest suicide for Black youth, 5 to 17 years, has changed over the past decade. In 2008, suicide was the fifth leading cause of death for Black youth, and in 2018, suicide was deemed the third leading cause of death (2.33 per 100 000 population). Additionally, the rate of suicide in Black youth younger than 13 years is approximately 2 times higher compared with their White counterparts. Suicidal ideation and attempts have also increased in Black youth, with data from 2009 to 2019 showing the percentages of Black youth who considered suicide (12.95% vs 16.89%, P < .001), made a suicide plan (9.79% vs 15.02%, P < .001), and attempted suicide (7.94% vs 11.85%, P = .05) all increased significantly.
The Congressional Black Caucus report specifically calls on the National Institutes of Health to fund more Black scientists and mobilize a research agenda focused on preventing Black youth suicide. In response, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) requested information on key points related to preventing Black youth suicide. We responded to this call, along with other members of the Youth Suicide Research Consortium—a group of scholars focused on suicide prevention in diverse youth. Here we share a condensed version of our group’s response to NIMH regarding the necessary steps for suicide prevention research addressing Black youth suicide.
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