Suicidality among Black Adolescents Exposed To Adversity: A Descriptive Analysis.

Abstract

Introduction: Rates of suicidality are increasing among Black youth, who have higher instances of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exposure compared to their White counterparts, despite reporting overall better mental health. This manuscript describes the suicidality trends among Black youth exposed to ACEs.

Methods: One hundred fifteen Black adolescents aged 11-16 participated in one of two interventions from 2022 to 2024 focused on substance use prevention and sexual health promotion. Both interventions consisted of eight sessions offered twice weekly over four weeks. To be eligible, youth were required to report exposure to at least one household challenge (i.e., a caregiver with a history of substance use, incarceration, or mental illness). Baseline and posttest assessments asked about exposure to nine adversities as well as about suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the sample's suicidality and adversity.

Results: The cohort reported being exposed to an average of three ACEs. Experiencing peer victimization (77.7%), discrimination (61.3%), and having an incarcerated family member (52.3%) were the most common types of adversity within the sample. From baseline to posttest, the frequency of suicidal thoughts increased nearly 4% among younger adolescents (ages 11-13) but decreased 5% among older adolescents (ages 14-16). A similar trend was observed for suicidal attempts but not plans.

Conclusions: Understanding the persistence and timing of ACEs exposures may be a critical factor in understanding suicidality among Black youth. Efforts to reduce suicidality among this group should focus on age-appropriate strategies to reduce ACEs exposures.