title: Suicide among African Americans: reflections and a call to action.
abstract: Suicide among African Americans is increasing at an alarming rate, and it deserves attention from numerous sectors in the society. This paper discusses some of the historical issues related to mental health care and African Americans. It suggests that sociocultural contexts are significant developmental shapers in the lives of African Americans. Several theoretical perspectives on suicide are presented, and Durkheim's concept of fatalism is useful in helping to unravel the dynamics of suicide. Issues related to the mental health system as currently experienced by African Americans conclude the discussion, along with a brief list of helpful resources.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0187, USA. fgary@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Faye A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Gary
authors.forename: Hossein N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Yarandi
authors.forename: Floydette C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Scruggs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D011582:Psychological Theory; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D000092864:Suicide Prevention