Suicidality in African American Men: The Roles of Southern Residence, Religiosity, and Social Support

The rise in suicide by African Americans in the United States is directly attributable to the dramatic, nearly three‐fold increase in suicide rates of African American males. Gibbs (1997) hypothesized high social support, religiosity, and southern residence are protective factors against suicidality...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Suicide & life-threatening behavior 2005-12, Vol.35 (6), p.615-629
Main Authors: Wingate, LaRicka R., Bobadilla, Leonardo, Burns, Andrea B., Cukrowicz, Kelly C., Hernandez, Annya, Ketterman, Rita L., Minnix, Jennifer, Petty, Scharles, Richey, J. Anthony, Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie, Stanley, Sheila, Williams, Foluso M., Joiner, Thomas E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
African Americans
African Americans - statistics & numerical data
At Risk Persons
Beliefs
Biological and medical sciences
Child Rearing
Climate
Community Surveys
Death
Disease Control
Ethnicity
Humans
Hypothesis Testing
Male
Males
Medical sciences
Men
Mental Disorders
Mental Disorders - ethnology
Middle Aged
Minority Groups
Place of Residence
Predictor Variables
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Religion
Religious Factors
Residence Characteristics
Role
Rural Areas
Social Indicators
Social Integration
Social Networks
Social Support
Social Support Groups
Suicide
Suicide, Attempted - ethnology
Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data
Suicides & suicide attempts
Surveys and Questionnaires
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
United States
Whites
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Summary:The rise in suicide by African Americans in the United States is directly attributable to the dramatic, nearly three‐fold increase in suicide rates of African American males. Gibbs (1997) hypothesized high social support, religiosity, and southern residence are protective factors against suicidality for Black people. This hypothesis was tested among 5,125 participants from the National Comorbidity Survey; 299 were African American males. In this study we hypothesized that there would be significantly lower suicidality in the South, and social support and religiosity would mediate this relationship. Our results indicate that Southern region is indeed a significant predictor of suicidal symptoms in African American men, such that suicidal symptoms were lower in the South, but religiosity and social support did not account for this effect. Other potential mediators were also examined.
ISSN:0363-0234
1943-278X
DOI:10.1521/suli.2005.35.6.615