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Recent Years Saw Rise in Suicide Deaths Among Black Women

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 18, 2023.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Dec. 18, 2023 -- From 1999 to 2020, suicide deaths increased among Black women, particularly younger individuals, according to a data letter published online Dec. 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Victoria A. Joseph, M.P.H., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues estimated suicide rates among Black girls and women aged 15 to 84 years using data from the National Center for Health Statistics Multiple Cause of Death (1999 to 2020) database and assessed trends by age, period, and U.S. census region.

The researchers found that suicide rates among Black females increased from 2.1 per 100,000 in 1999 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2020, with a concentration of rate increases among those aged 15 to 24 years (an increase from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000). Regardless of cohort and time, there was a clear age effect, with higher rates at younger ages and lower rates at older ages. There was also a clear period effect, with rates generally increasing across time for most ages, although evidence was limited for a period effect at older ages. Lastly, there was a cohort effect, with suicide rates highest among females born after 2002 and a clustering of increased suicide rates among the youngest cohorts. Similarly, across geographic regions, rates were highest among those aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 years.

"This study identifies increasing trends in suicide death among Black females born in recent years and underscores the need to increase mental health care access among Black girls and women, and to reduce other forms of structural racism," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted December 2023

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