Researchers were no closer to the answer as to why Black youth die by suicide at twice the rate of White teens. Then investigators from the University of Houston and UTMB-Health Science branch in Galveston began to ask this hard question.
UH’s team included Carla Sharp, Ph.D., Jenny Brown, Ph.D., and Ryan Hill, Ph.D. They were joined by licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor Danielle Busby, Ph.D., from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Together, they are working to better understand what factors play into the high rate of suicide among Black youth 11- 17 years old.
Louisiana State University and Purdue are additional collaborative partners in this important study, which received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health in September. The research project was initially funded by an internal grant from the University of Houston (Grants to Enhance Research on Racism). The subjects were recruited from the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, a community health care center that deals with the mental health of underserved populations in Houston.
Nearly all the data concerning suicide ideation, up until this point, offered insight into the experience of White adults. Preconceived notions and judgments can make their way into the act of writing survey questions, which does not capture the actual cultural experiences of, in this case, Black youth. This study is different; it uses what is called Cultural Consensus Modeling (CCM). CCM uses two types of methodologies — quantitative and qualitative methods — to understand a problem or challenge while being sensitive to cultural phenomena within the demographic.
“Giving a direct voice to young people themselves, without making assumptions about what is right and wrong, allows us to understand the phenomenon of suicide among Black youth in this ethnographic study,” said Sharp. That’s why researchers are instead employing CCM methods to ask questions and to listen, instead of proceeding with a one-size-fits-all questionnaire about suicidal thoughts and actions among Black youth.
“There are likely a range of reasons that Black youth may have thoughts about no longer wanting to live,” said Busby. “I do not think we can pinpoint one reason for an entire group of youth. However, we do know there are a range of problems that may be impacting Black youth in ways that are unique to them, such as systematic racism and experiences of racial discrimination.”
The researchers are hearing that Black teens feel like they carry a disproportionate burden – their bodies and minds are changing with adolescence, but they also respond strongly to images from the media of violence against Black people and their own first-hand experiences with racism. This project is really about empowering Black youth to speak their experiences and listening closely to the answers – these answers may save lives.
“If you say these problems are just too big, then you’ll never get started trying to solve them…you’ll just say, this is overwhelming, and things will remain forever the same. I think the work our team is doing will allow us to get closer to understanding the suicidal thoughts and behaviors of Black youth,” said Busby.
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