Feature
Between 1980 and 1995, the suicide rate among black men doubled to nearly 8 deaths per 100,000 people. Suicide is now the third leading cause of death among black men between the ages of 15 and 24. African Americans are 30% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than Non-Hispanic Whites. 60% of African American women suffer from depression, but few seek professional help. In 1996 there were an estimated 500,000 suicide attempts. There are an estimated 8 to 25 attempted suicides to 1 completion; the ratio is higher in women and youth and lower in men and the elderly. More than four times as many men than women die by suicide. Suicide by firearms is the most common method for both men and women, accounting for 58% of all suicides in 1997. 72% percent of all suicides and 79% of all firearm suicides are committed by
white men. The highest suicide rate was for white men over 85 years of age-65 per 100,000 persons. Why some people who suffer from depression commit or attempt suicide and others don’t is a complex social construct. There is quite a bit of variation in people with suicidal ideation and various demographics have been correlated with certain suicidal behaviors. Research suggests that 90 percent of those who commit suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental, emotional or substance abuse disorder. Further research points to more physiological reasons, such as the alterations in neurotransmitters like serotonin are associated with the risk for suicide. Decreased levels of serotonin have been found in patients with depression, impulsive disorders, a history of violent suicide attempts, and also in postmortem brains of suicide victims. However, the highest risk factors for attempted suicide in adults are depression,
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