A father consoles his son.
Jay Barnett was 23 when he had his first suicide attempt.
He decided to harm himself. Luckily his girlfriend found him in time to save his life. In 2006 his depression got worse after he was a free agent in the NFL and was not selected to join a professional team. Football had become a huge part of his identity— he played for thirteen years.
“The helmet gives you an identity. The helmet could not save me from myself,” he said. Like 64% percent of Black children, Barnett’s father was not in his life. He endured serious abuse from his step father and did not have any healthy father figures.
“I found belonging in football. I could be this boy who had so much bitterness towards his father and release pain without repercussions,” he said. Now, the Mississippi native is a life coach and therapist and has been in therapy for 8 years. As a two time suicide survivor he wants to help other people overcome depression. He is one of many Black men who has experienced suicidal ideation. There’s an epidemic in the United States that many people don’t know about— Black male suicide.
The Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to higher suicide rates in essential workers, young adults, and people of color. A 2021 JAMA study revealed that Black men had a larger increase in suicide attempts than any other racial group. It also found that suicide rates in Black male adolescents increased by 47% from 2013 to 2019. Black suicidologists say it’s partially due to racism.
“Racism is a dynamic force. There’s online discrimination and bullying coupled with the school system and the criminal justice system. All of those things have created the perfect storm,” said Dr. Leslie Adams, an assistant professor in the department of mental health at Johns Hopkins.
She’s been curious about how Black people handle stress since a young age. From 2018-2020 she participated in a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, where she conducted research on Black mental health.
On August 23, Dr. Adams and suicidologist and psychotherapist Janel Cubbage published a report called Still Ringing the Alarm: An Enduring Call to Action for Black Youth Suicide Prevention. The report mentions ways to prevent suicide amongst Black youth. Despite their and other researchers findings, there is stigma surrounding suicide in the Black community.
Fighting Stigma
62.8% of Black people in the United States received mental health services in 2021. Still, many African-Americans refuse to seek out help for suicidal ideation.
“There’s this narrative that suicide is a white thing and that’s not true. There’s also this history that is associated with slavery,” said Cubbage.
“Suicide was very much a part of chattel slavery. Some of the very first suicide prevention technologies were developed on slave ships. They would place netting on the sides of bridges so the captives couldn’t jump off. They created contraptions to force feed them so they couldn’t stop eating and die by suicide,” she said.
Eurocentric approaches to medicine have contributed to a lack of trust in the Black community. Black people have been experimented on and dissected by medical professionals. From Venus Hottenot dying by dissection because of her curvy physique to Black men unknowingly being given syphilis during the Tuskegee experiment, Black people have historically been taken advantage of by doctors and researchers.
“Mental health is still new to Black folks. The language and research around mental health is very eurocentric. It was not made for Blacks,” said Barnett.
Fear of medicine has stopped too many Black men from getting help with their mental health. However, judgment is one of the main reasons African-American men ignore their suicidal thoughts.
Fearing Judgment
Black men often fear admitting they need help because of the pressure to be providers for their families. “A Black man that does something that is considered to be disparaging to the community can be hard. Black men don’t want to hinder the collective and the collective reputation,” Adams said.
“We can’t as Black individuals make decisions that only affect us. When we do things it’s a greater criticism of our social group,” she told me.
Black men, women, and people are expected to keep going when facing challenges, regardless of their mental state. “We are socialized to always find a way. It’s what we are expected to do. That you have to push through and you’re supposed to be able to handle it,” she says. “There’s a lot of suffering in silence and unwillingness to seek help,” said Cubbage.
Why It Matters
Black men are dying at the hands of suicide— and it isn’t just because of racism. The lack of Black mental health professionals can be discouraging to Black men. “After surviving my second attempt I went to therapy and that’s where my journey began. Through that journey, I realized there weren’t individuals that looked like me in the mental health space,” Barnett said.
Like Barnett, Cubbage believes everyone should care about Black male suicide. She thinks many Black men don’t discuss suicidal ideation because they don’t want to be seen as a problem.
“There’s this hyper-awareness of not wanting to burden other people. It keeps them isolated. It keeps them from getting the support they need to thrive. Having untreated mental health conditions can make it difficult to hold a job or show up for your community or family,” said Cubbage.
Experts believe people from all walks of life should care about Black male suicide— and that includes acknowledging its ties to slavery. Many slaves jumped overboard while enduring the middle passage. “Suicide amongst slaves was very common. That’s one thing we should all understand,” she aaid.
What You Can Do
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, Black male adolescents are most likely to die by suicide as a result of firearms. A study done by researchers at UCLA had alarming results. From 1999-2019 there was an 84.5% increase in Black men committing suicide with guns. One way to help Black male youth is to not expose them to firearms, and to talk to them about gun violence.
Another way is to show unconditional love and support. If a loved one of friend is struggling with suicidal ideation, try to find a local support group or psychologist who can help. Many people become suicidal after a major loss just like Barnett. Free grief support groups are available online. There are also hotlines for people having mental health crises. There are even resources specifically for Black men dealing with depression and other mental health issues.
Outside of finding resources make sure the person considering suicide keeps expressing their feelings. Cubbage recommends that people “be more willing to have these conversations openly and recognize it’s not a personal or moral failing.” Do not make someone feel guilty or selfish for considering suicide. Instead, provide reasons for them to continue living. Many people do not know mental health support for Black men even exists.
“For Black men struggling with mental health there is support out there. Use all the resources that you can to get the help that you need. It is possible to have a long and healthy life even though you’re struggling at this moment,” Adams said.
If you or a loved one is grappling with suicidal ideation please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.