Silence is Not Golden: Attitudes Towards Suicide in the African American Community

• Main Author: Wright, LaTrice
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Archive @ GSU 2012
• Subjects: African American; Ethnic identity salience; Mental health; Psychology; Suicide
• Online Access: http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/aas_theses/15; http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=aas_theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinions of African American college students as they relate to suicide. A questionnaire was distributed to 92 individuals in a computer classroom setting. Their responses were then analyzed to investigate whether ethnic identity salience influenced the students’ perspectives of suicide. Regression analysis revealed that ethnic identity salience did not influence acceptability and normality of suicide in the African American students. Analysis also demonstrated that ethnic identity salience did not effect whether the African American students viewed suicide as being related to mental or moral illness. Seventeen of those who took the questionnaire also participated in interviews. The interviews allowed the respondents to voice their opinions on suicide in the African American community. Nine key themes were discovered during the interviews. Suggestions for suicide prevention and interventions that are more effective, and the directions for future literature on the subject, are discussed.