The Syndemic Effect of COVID-19 and Racial Discrimination on Suicide Risk for Black Emerging Adults: Examining a Model of Radical Healing

• Published in: Journal of counseling psychology 2024-10, Vol.71 (5), p.459-472
• Main Authors: Brooks Stephens, Jasmin R., Walker, Rheeda L., Francis, David J., Neville, Helen A., Vujanovic, Anka A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; African Americans; Black or African American - psychology; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Black People; COVID-19; COVID-19 - ethnology; COVID-19 - psychology; Emerging Adulthood; Female; Healing; Human; Humans; Male; Pandemics; Protective Factors; Psychological distress; Psychological well being; Race and Ethnic Discrimination; Racial discrimination; Racism - psychology; Racism - statistics & numerical data; Resilience; Resilience (Psychology); Resilience, Psychological; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Socioeconomic status; Stress; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Structural equation modeling; Structural Equation Models; Suicidality; Suicide; Suicide - ethnology; Suicide - psychology; Suicide - statistics & numerical data; Syndemic; United States - epidemiology; United States - ethnology; Well being; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-0167; 1939-2168
• DOI: 10.1037/cou0000749

Suicide is a leading cause of death among Black emerging adults. The concurrent effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial discrimination were projected to exacerbate suicide vulnerability for Black Americans. The purpose of the present study was to utilize a risk-resilience model to examine the effects of racial discrimination and COVID-related stress on suicide risk for Black emerging adults, as well as the moderating effect of three central components of radical healing: critical consciousness, resilience, and cultural authenticity. Study participants included 521 Black emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 29 (51.6% male; Mage = 24.6, SD = 2.6) who completed measures evaluating symptoms of racial discrimination, COVID-related stress, suicide risk, and psychological well-being. After controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and general stress, structural equation modeling analyses revealed unique and interactive effects of racial discrimination, COVID-related stress, and culturally relevant protective factors on suicide risk for Black emerging adults. These findings provide preliminary insight into novel risk and protective factors that influence suicide risk for Black emerging adults. Public Significance Statement Overall, findings suggest that the synergistic effects of COVID-related stress and racial discrimination play a role in suicide vulnerability for Black emerging adults. The present study's contributions are important in the context of providing empirical evidence for the role of social marginalization and culturally relevant buffers in suicide risk for Black Americans, highlighting the need for culturally informed models of suicide risk.