Study on Black men’s mental health living in rural areas highlight effects of racism, trauma

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TW: This article mentions suicide and suicidal ideation. One in three Black men living in rural America reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, according to a new study by the University of Georgia. Disproportionate racism and childhood trauma may be a large part of the reason. The study, published in February, found that people who grew up with low resources and who faced racial discrimination as children and into young adulthood were more likely to feel mistrust or isolation in social relationships, leading to suicidal thoughts. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for all African Americans ages 15 to 24, but it impacts Black men at a rate four times more than Black women. “We often don’t look at where the disparities are and who the individuals most at risk are when we’re talking about suicide ideation,” Michael Curtis, a co-author of the study and a graduate of UGA’s Human Development and Family Science Department, said in a statement Tuesday. “Historically, research has not invested a lot of time and effort in looking into what are the unique cultural contexts that make certain men more at risk for suicidal thoughts than other men.” Racism has been declared a serious threat...

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