A CLOSER LOOK
EDITORIAL ADVISOR : Chad T . Rodgers , MD , FAAP , CPE
Changing Trends in Suicide : Young Black Arkansans Are at Risk
AUSTIN PORTER , DrPH , MPH ; NAKITA LOVELADY , PH . D ., MPH ; M . KATHRYN ALLISON , PH . D ., MPH
Since 2013 , more than 500 Arkansans have died yearly due to suicide . Historically , white Arkansans have been disproportionately impacted by suicide , accounting for nearly 95 % of suicides in 2015 while accounting for 78 % of the population . This trend has continued for years until recently , when the state is experiencing an alarming increase in the rate of Black Arkansans who have died by suicide .
Since 2015 , the rate of Black Arkansans who have died by suicide has more than doubled ( 4.7 per 100,000 in 2015 to 10.4 per 100,000 in 2020 ), while the suicide rate among white Arkansans slightly decreased during the same period ( 22.2 per 100,000 in 2015 to 21.1 per 100,000 in 2020 ; Figure 1 ). Even more startling is the 55 % increase in the suicide rate among Black Arkansans between 2019 and 2020 , while the suicide rate among white Arkansans decreased slightly .
The COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be associated with increased levels of stress and depression , which are risk factors for suicide . The impact of the pandemic may be disproportionately affecting the mental health and well-being of
Black Arkansans . Other states have experienced similar trends . A study by Bray et al . found that the suicide rate among Blacks living in Maryland significantly increased in 2020 compared to previous years . 1 Although the number of Black Arkansans who die from suicide is relatively low compared to whites . The emerging trends are particularly troubling .
AGE
The average age of people who die from suicide can provide critical information for health care professionals seeking to identify at-risk populations and implement interventions to reduce the risk of suicide . In 2015 , the average age of decedents of suicide for white and Black Arkansans was 47 and 44 years , respectively , a difference of approximately three years ( Figure 2 ). In the years leading to 2020 , the average age of decedents from suicide among white Arkansans remained unchanged , while the average age among Black Arkansans decreased by 11 years .
The decrease in the average age among Black Arkansans indicates an increase in the frequency of younger people dying by suicide . In 2015 , less than half of Black Arkansans who died by suicide were ≤44 years compared to 84 % in 2020 . Additionally , in 2020 approximately 14 % of Black Arkansans who died from suicide in 2020 were children (< 18 years ), compared to 3 % among white Arkansans for the same year . National data from the Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System have shown that suicidal ideation , creation of a suicide plan , and attempts have all statistically increased among Black youth from 2009 through 2019 . 2
CALL TO ACTION
To address this increasing rate of suicide among Black Arkansans , our state needs culturally appropriate community programs that engage appropriate community partners and settings . Churches , workplaces , and schools are vital for promoting mental health and suicide prevention . One example of a workplace program is The Confess Project , which has trained barbers to listen , validate , and be advocates to help others get comfortable talking about their emotions . Programs like The Confess Project help create environments where Black community members feel comfortable discussing mental health and asking for help .
Community leaders also play a role in creating cultures that destigmatize mental health . Black
86 THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY