Special Assignment
By Dave Devereaux
As our community had not completely come to terms with the sudden suicide of actress Regina King’s son, Ian Alexander Jr., on January 19 on his 26th birthday, we were hit with yet another unexplained and horrible death of 2019 Miss USA, Cheslie Kryst, by suicide.
To think that two young people so gifted and privileged would take their own lives is almost inconceivable. Especially in the black community, as suicide is not a common topic of discussion and is believed by many to not affect us.
However, as of late, the statistics say different. Suicide and mental health issues are being identified and we need to tackle these issues head-on or risk losing a whole generation of young people.
The families and friends of these two young people admitted there were no signs that their loved one’s mental health was in question. There was no warning that this was on their agendas.
Admittedly, Cheslie’s mother stated that she suffered in private from depression, but did not anticipate it being that bad. Many times the strong ones are those that are not checked in on and yet they may be suffering silently.
According to recent reports, black male suicide deaths are on the rise faster than any other racial group. Suicide ranked as the third leading cause of death in black men from ages 15+, and black men are four times more likely to die by suicide than black women.
Many mental health experts believe that this sets up a perfect storm of hardships for black males in particular. The rates of suicidal ideation and anxiety have risen during the pandemic. A new study finds that suicide attempts among young people had risen at an alarming rate, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The storm will be waged on the lack of mental health clinicians that can address a cultural issue that most blacks, in particular, are faced with. Within the black community mental health has become a more commonly discussed issue with athletes and celebrities sharing their journeys, but in practice still not readily available or taken advantage of.
With that said, the issue of getting help is still a far cry, as black males are reluctant to speak to someone that does not look like them or remotely understand what it means to be a black man in America. We need black male therapists to become more vocal about the services they offer to black men. Inherently this is who black men will be more comfortable talking with.
We need more services that link the black community to mental health services and this has to be promoted within our community. A well-meaning non-black psychologist cannot relate to the lived experiences of a young black person.
While COVID-19 ushered in a whole new era of mental health challenges, we cannot get lost in that wave of pain by not doing anything. Countless other black males and females have chosen to take their own lives due to the hardships they faced and they did not have the tools or services to address those issues.
When you hear famous people talk about their struggles with mental health such as Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, Wayne Brady and Charlamagne tha God, it opens the door for others to question whether they should seek help for their mental health needs as they see themselves in these celebrities of color.
The only issue is how to do so. It’s not so easy for the young lady next door or young man down the street to confess they need help. We have to begin to normalize mental health to get people to feel comfortable in making such requests for help. The good coming from all this attention is that it creates a script for how a person can approach mental health needs and support.
This has not always existed. How could it, when it has been such a taboo topic within the black community. The risk factors are based on systemic racism, discrimination, violence and continued socioeconomic disparities. This leads to the summation that there are significant differences in how communities of color approach mental health, suicide prevention and how they seek medical and psychiatric support.
We have identified the risk factors that may lead to suicide and some of the top ones are psychological distress; substance abuse; access to lethal means such as guns; social isolation as created most recently by COVID-19; maladaptive coping skills; and exposure to racial inequality.
Along with these stressors is the limited access to services such as a lack of insurance, a lack of proximity to services and a distrust of doctors and the medical establishment, not to mention the stigma of mental health within the black community.
These findings are very real. As far back as 2014, studies noted that 2,421 blacks committed suicide in the United States. Of that number, 1,946 were male and 475 were female suicides. These staggering numbers were not made public unless someone was researching them. These findings should have been stories on the evening news to draw attention to the high number of people lost needlessly. Instead, the mainstream media focused on crime and ill-fated police actions that seldom painted a positive light on black or brown cultures. Which only dims any light of positivity.
Overall, no crystal ball can predict the mental stability of any one individual. We may never know why a person chooses suicide unless there is evidence of their reasoning left for loved ones to read. We must rely on frequent interactions and check-ins with our family, friends and neighbors.
Don’t assume that when you see someone so put together that all is well, it may not be. What we should ask ourselves is what did it take for them to keep it together. As an educator, I always made it a point to talk with people under my supervision to determine if their mental state may be in question and perhaps they need a break.
The stresses of today with COVID-19, masking, anti-masking and poor human interactions and behaviors can lead people to feel exhausted and depleted with little room to think about their futures. It may seem simplistic on my part, but I believe the lack of human interaction has hastened the current statistics we are experiencing now.
If you know someone who may be struggling with mental health or have expressed a need for emotional support, reach out to them. Refer them to the following resources:
Black Men Heal – Mental Health Referrals
NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)There are resources in each city or county municipality that are available to provide immediate responses to people who may be in need or in crisis. Let’s protect our friends and loved ones by becoming more present. I believe that suicide is preventable.
