Mental Health Awareness Month: Shattering Myths as Black Suicide Rates Climb

For a long time, conventional wisdom held that suicide wasn’t something Black people did, that ending one’s own life was “a white thing.” And to be sure, data backs that up; even as recently as 2018, the overall suicide rate for Black Americans was some 60 percent lower than that of the non-Hispanic white population. But something’s changed in recent years, with researchers and the public at large noticing a swift uptick in Black suicide rates––particularly among young people. And with high profile cases of Black people who’ve died by suicide, including former Miss USA Chelsie Kryst and Regina King’s son Ian Alexander, Jr. , drawing more attention to the issue, Black mental health professionals are urging the community as Mental Health Awareness month draws to a close to learn more, know the warning signs, and seek help if needed.  “There’s been a perception in the Black community for decades that suicide is not an issue,” says Victor Armstrong, vice president for health equity and engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Part of the challenge has been that narrative, but there also has not really been a push outside of the community for suicide prevention or for suicide...