ABSTRACT
Although suicide rates among blacks appear to be lower than rates among whites, suicide rates represent a critical barometer of social health among African Americans. * In 1970 the overall rate in the United States was 12.1 per 100,000, while the rate for blacks was 5.1 per 100,000 (Poussaint & Alexander, 2001). Since that time, the suicide rate for the population as a whole has dropped but it has risen for African Americans. In fact, between 1980 and 1995, rates doubled for this population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1998). What factors contribute to these increases in suicide among African Americans? And, what theoretical explanations are given for disparities between blacks and whites, as well as disparities between black male and female rates of suicide?
