Fund research on black youth mental health
Recommendation
Congress should fund projects to demonstrate evidence-based interventions for Black youth and other underserved populations for which there have been limited research.[1]
Background/summary
Suicide rates for Black youth are increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group.[1][3][5][6][7][8] Additionally, Black adolescents are significantly less likely to receive care for depression—a major risk factor for suicide—because pervasive structural inequities around the social determinants of health and stigma and mistrust of healthcare providers create barriers to treatment.[1][5][9][10][11][12]
Little research exists around recommendations for universal screening for suicide risk in adolescents,[1][3][4] and much less specific to Black youth.[1][2][3][4][6][8][11] Yet, limited funding is dedicated to investigate evidence-based interventions relating to mental health and suicide risk or study risk factors, protective factors, mental health utilization and engagement, as they pertain to Black youth.[1] Demonstration projects would provide opportunities to test, assess, and advance best or promising practices in youth suicide interventions, guided by expert researchers and clinicians,[1] and can occur in schools, through government/public-private partnerships, and in collaboration with faith-based organizations.[3][6][10][12] Congress should fund research, including demonstration projects, to address suicide risk and intervention for Black youth and other under-researched populations.[1][6][9]
citations
1. Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health, Congressional Black Caucus. “Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America.” Last Updated December 2019.
2. Bridge, Jeffrey A., Lindsey Asti, Lisa M. Horowitz, Joel B. Greenhouse, Cynthia A. Fontanella, Arielle H. Sheftall, Kelly J. Kelleher, John V. Campo. “Suicide Trends Among Elementary School-Aged Children in the United States From 1993-2012.” AMA Pediatrics, American Medical Association. Last Updated July 2015.
3. Arielle H. Sheftall, Lindsey Asti, Lisa M. Horowitz, Adrienne Felts, Cynthia A. Fontanella, John V. Campo, Jeffrey A. Bridge. “Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents.” Pediatrics, volume 138, issue 4, American Academy of Pediatrics. Last Updated October 2016.
4. Michael A. Lindsey, Arielle H. Sheftall, Yunyu Xiao, Sean Joe. “Trends of Suicidal Behaviors Among High School Students in the United States, 1991-2017.” Pediatrics, volume 144, issue 5, American Academy of Pediatrics. Last Updated November 2019.
5. Tim Wadsworth, Jerald R Herting, Charis E. Kubrin. “Investigating the Rise (and Fall) of Young Black Male Suicide in the United States, 1982-2001.” Journal of African American Studies, volume 17, number 2. Last Updated June 2013.
6. Arielle H. Sheftall, PhD et al. “Black Youth Suicide: Investigation of Current trends and Precipitating Circumstances.” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, volume 61, issue 5, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Last Updated May 2022.
7. Rajeev Ramchand, Joshua A. Gordon, Jane L. Pearson. “Trends in Suicide Rates by Race and Ethnicity in the United States.” JAMA Network Open, American Medical Association. Last Updated May 26, 2021.
8. Asha Z. Ivey-Stephenson, Zewditu Demissie, Alexander E. Crosby, Deborah M. Stone, Elizabeth Gaylor, Natalie Wilkins, Richard Lowry, Margaret Brown. “Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among High School Students–Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United State, 2019.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, volume 69, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Last Updated August 21, 2020.
9. Zara Abrams. Sounding the alarm on black youth suicide. American Psychological Association. Last Updated January 28, 2020.
10. Inger E. Burnett-Zeigler. “Young Black People Are Killing Themselves” (Opinion). The New York Times. Last Updated December 16, 2019.
11. Director’s Messages, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Addressing the Crisis of Black Youth Suicide. Last Updated September 22, 2020.
12. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Identity and Cultural Dimensions: Black/African American. Last Accessed July 16, 2023.