African-American Community Member Perspectives towards Suicide and Stigma of Suicide

Background/Purpose: An understanding of culture-specific meanings of suicide and its stigma is unexplored. Such research is especially important for African-Americans, considering the rise in suicide rates among African-American youth. The purpose of this study is to examine African-American perspectives towards suicide and stigma to address this issue through culturally-appropriate interventions.

Methods/Approach: We analyzed 21 semi-structured interviews with participants from California self-identified as African-American. Interviews focused on the stigma of suicide. They were coded using a “grounded theory” open framework illuminating mechanisms that could be leveraged to decrease stigma of suicide.

Findings: Participants considered stigma of suicide to be a barrier to help-seeking. Perception of suicide as being culturally and religiously unacceptable stokes stigma. However, while many participants viewed suicide as “something that White people do” or unforgivable sin, religion served as a protective factor to discourage suicide and a source of social support. Stigmatizing responses to suicide attempters include social distancing and perceived dangerousness. “Slow suicide” – hopelessness leading to risky behaviors, such as selling drugs or getting involved with gangs – was considered a culturally-unique expression of suicide. Participants also discussed lack of certain potentially efficient prevention programs.

Implications: Conceptions of suicide differ from the dominant view of suicide as single life-ending action. Systemic issues such as discrimination and economic injustice disproportionately affect this group. Culturally-unique protective factors such as religion reveal suicide’s complex relation to cultural constructs. Results reinforce the need for understanding culture-specific meanings of suicide on a community level towards developing culturally-appropriate programs to address suicide.