ABSTRACT
The rates of suicide in the United States among all pre-adolescents and adolescents have doubled over the last few decades. This is particularly true among African-American youth, whose suicide rates have historically been lower than European-American youth. Between 1980 and 1995, a total of 3,030 African Americans aged 10—19 years committed suicide (CDC, 1998). This reflects a 114% increase for African Americans aged 10—19 years, with the largest increase (233%) being among African Americans aged 10—14 years as compared to a 120% increase for their European Americans counterparts. Among all African Americans aged 15—19 years, the suicide rate increased 126%, compared with 19% for European-American youth. Among African-American males aged 15—19 years, the suicide rate increased 146%, compared with 22% for European-American males of the same age group. The troubling nature of this sudden increase is made more mysterious by recent research findings by Goldsmith, Pellmar, Kleinman, and Bunney (2002) of the Institute of Medicine that indicate recent suicide rates among African-American males are declining. This could mean concerns about a developing African-American male suicide crisis are unwarranted.
