21 The Effects of Discrimination on Suicide

Discrimination has been found to have lasting effects on one’s mental health. It can greatly increase their risk for suicide. Individuals who frequently experience discrimination of any form are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with a mental disorder (Rogers, 2021). This puts them at a much higher risk for suicide (Rogers, 2021). Signs to look for in someone who may be at risk are, social isolation, hopelessness, aggressiveness, and history of mental illnesses (CDC b, 2022). The CDC has many suggestions on how to prevent suicide at different social levels. Some of these suggestions include strengthening economic support, strengthening access and delivery of suicide care, creating protective environments, and promoting connectedness (CDC b, 2022). This year, #988 became the new three-digit code for a national suicide and crisis lifeline that is available 24/7. (CDC b, 2022). You never know who may be at risk for suicide, so it is always important to check in on others.

Suicide rates have been continuously increasing over the past 10 years, becoming one of the leading causes of death amongst racialized individuals and those living in rural parts of the country (Saunders & Panchal, 2022). Suicide rates have drastically increased amongst racialized individuals, the highest increase being amongst Black individuals at 43% (Saunders & Panchal, 2022). As mental health continues to become a concerning issue, so does suicide. There are many factors that may contribute to the worsening of one’s mental health leading them to suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. Often, social factors play an important role in suicidal tendencies. Bullying, racism, and harassment have all become leading causes of suicide and/or suicidal thoughts (Ergin, 2021; Saunders & Panchal, 2022). The lack of social support and forced stereotypes has also greatly impacted the mental health of many men.

In recent years, suicide rates amongst men have been increasing. In 2020, the suicide rate among men was 4 times higher than that of females. In the United States, male suicides made up 79% of all suicides (NIH, 2022). It is also now the seventh leading cause of death amongst men of all ages in the United States (CDC, 2019). Although white males currently have some of the highest suicide rates, the suicide rates of racialized individuals have been increasing at an alarming rate (Suicide Prevention Resource Center b, 2021).

“Male to Female Ratio of Suicide, 2021” by Our World in Data is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Suicide among:

Different Racial Groups

Many racialized males in the United States face race-based discrimination which takes a toll on their mental health. A study conducted in 2019 found that racialized individuals who reported the highest levels of discrimination were at a higher risk for suicide attempts (Oh et al., 2019). It is believed that one of the main contributors for the higher risk of suicide is traumatic stress reactions such as PTSD (Polanco, 2018). The rate of suicide among Black men has risen drastically over the past 20 years. They now have some of the highest suicide rates, yet there are few studies that have been conducted to determine why (Goodwill et al., 2021). In fact, Black men are 4 to 6 times more likely to die from suicide than Black women (Goodwill et al., 2021). One study found that race-based discrimination and experiencing microaggressions have led to higher rates of depression and suicide among Blacks (Goodwill et al., 2021). Similarly, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (a, 2021) found that between the years of 2011 and 2020, Hispanic men were 4 times more likely to commit suicide compared to Hispanic women.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide rates amongst Blacks, Hispanics and Asians have greatly increased, especially amongst Asians (Brown, 2022). There is not much research on how suicide rates differed between genders for Asians. However, many studies found an increase in suicide rates post pandemic (Brown, 2022). The leading cause of this increase has been an increase in racial discrimination against Asians (Brown, 2022).

“Men Are Far More Likely to Die by Suicide” by CDC is in the Public Domain, CC0

Sexual Minority Men

Furthermore, men who identify as gay and bisexual have notably higher suicide rates compared to their straight peers, especially under the age of 25 (CDC a, 2022). They are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide than straight males. Most risk factors amongst bisexual or gay men are linked to being in hostile environments where they experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation (CDC a, 2022). It would be meaningful to see how suicide rates vary within the LGBTQ+ community based on race, however little to no research has been conducted within the past 10 years.

Immigrants

In addition, immigrants tend to have high suicide rates globally. Mental health has a higher prevalence in immigrants, primarily depression and PTSD (Amiri, 2022). This contributes to the high prevalence of suicide among immigrants (Amiri, 2022). Immigrants tend to be in more stressful living situations (ex. low income, unemployment, etc.) which can expose them to suicidal behaviors. Many studies have found that suicide rates among immigrants are typically higher than when compared to non-immigrants (Bursztein, 2013). Although suicide attempts are more common among female immigrants, completed suicides were the highest among male immigrants (Bursztein, 2013). In Europe, the Northern and Eastern sides have the highest suicide rates and men are five times more likely than women to commit suicide (Spallek et al., 2015). For immigrants, there are many factors that can negatively impact their mental health such as socio-economic disadvantages, discrimination, and marginalization (Spallek et al., 2015).

Among immigrants, discrimination was strongly linked with suicidal ideation, regardless of gender and identity (Amiri, 2022). For immigrants, discrimination can be a chronic stressor that presents as social exclusion and name-calling (Ergin, 2021). Further, the lack of a similar ethnic environment can lead immigrants to feel uneasy, unsafe and lose their sense of identity (Ergin, 2021). This could help explain why Asian and Hispanic immigrants were found to have increasing suicide rates the longer they lived in the United States (Brown, 2014). In addition, people from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, and Vietnam were shown to have higher suicide rates when they immigrated to the United States vs staying in their native country (Brown, 2014). Devalued identity is a leading cause in worsening the mental well-being of many immigrants (Brown, 2014).

What is being done? What can be done?

Expressing feelings of hopelessness, talking about being a burden, isolation, extreme mood swings and an increase in drug and alcohol consumption are signs that someone may be at risk for suicide (Leonard, 2020). If you notice someone experiencing these symptoms, it is important to provide them emotional support and encourage them to seek help (Leonard, 2020). Many men lack social support causing them to ignore negative emotions (Reiner, 2020). So, it is very important to listen to them without judgement and remind them that you are there for them (Leonard, 2020). Research shows that people are less likely to commit suicide if they feel they have family and friends that provide them emotional support (Leonard, 2020). If someone is in immediate risk of suicide, 911 should be called as soon as possible.

At an institutional level, primary care physicians are continuously being educated and trained in depression recognition and suicide preventative (Mann et al., 2021). This has helped decrease their patients’ suicide rates (Mann et al., 2021). Schools around the world are also beginning to educate youth on depressive and suicidal behaviors, and recourses available to them (Mann et al., 2021). Educating youth on different cultures and the LGBTQ+ community may also help create a more inclusive atmosphere for immigrants, racialized individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Moreover, psychiatric clinics have started reaching out to patients after they have been discharged, especially if they were admitted due to a suicide crisis (Mann et al., 2021). This has also helped decrease suicide rates for their patients (Mann et al., 2021).

Since the feeling of a loss of identity and lack of social recognition contribute to suicide amongst immigrants and racialized individuals, communities could celebrate other cultures to help create a sense of inclusivity. Men already tend to have smaller social networks and have less frequent social support exchanges with friends and family (Reiner, 2020). It is important that communities help make them feel recognized and supported. For example, grocery stores usually put-up Christmas decorations, so they could also put-up Diwali decorations. Further, communities could recognize and celebrate days such as National Coming Out Day, to help destigmatize the LGBTQ+ community.

References

Amiri. (2022). Prevalence of Suicide in Immigrants/Refugees: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Suicide Research, 26(2), 370–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2020.1802379

Brown, N. (2022, July 27). Discrimination took a toll on the mental health of racial and ethnic minority groups during the covid-19 pandemic. Massachusetts General Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/discrimination-toll-on-mental-health-racial-ethnic-minority-groups-during-pandemic

Brown, Cohen, S. A., & Mezuk, B. (2014). Duration of US residence and suicidality among racial/ethnic minority immigrants. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(2), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0947-4

Bursztein Lipsicas, Mäkinen, I. H., Wasserman, D., Apter, A., Kerkhof, A., Michel, K., Salander Renberg, E., van Heeringen, K., Värnik, A., & Schmidtke, A. (2013). Gender distribution of suicide attempts among immigrant groups in European countries–an international perspective. European Journal of Public Health, 23(2), 279–284. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cks029

CDC a. (2022, July 19). Suicide and violence prevention among gay and bisexual men. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/suicide-violence-prevention.htm

CDC b. (2022, July 5). Prevention strategies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/prevention/index.html

CDC. (2019, September 27). Leading causes of death-all races and origins-males – united states, 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/lcod/men/2016/all-races-origins/index.htm

 Ergin. (2021). The effects of perceived discrimination, social support and ethnic identity on mental health of immigrant adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, 9(1), 127–136. https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2021-014

Goodwill, Taylor, R. J., & Watkins, D. C. (2021). Everyday Discrimination, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicide Ideation Among African American Men. Archives of Suicide Research, 25(1), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2019.1660287

Leonard, J. (2020, June 17). Male suicide: Risk factors, warning signs, and how to help. Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/male-suicide#prevention

Mann, J. J., Michel, C. A., & Auerbach, R. P. (2021). Improving suicide prevention through evidence-based strategies: A systematic review. American Journal of Psychiatry, 178(7), 611–624. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20060864

NIMH. (2022, June). Suicide. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20suicide%20rate,females%20(5.5%20per%20100%2C000).

Oh, Stickley, A., Koyanagi, A., Yau, R., & DeVylder, J. E. (2019). Discrimination and suicidality among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 517–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.059

Polanco. (2018). Casualties of Racism: Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Risk for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among Racial and Ethnic Minority Emerging Adults. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Reiner, A. (2020, December 3). Building Emotional Safety Nets for men. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/well/mind/men-emotional-support-networks.html

Rogers, K. (2021, November 8). Discrimination of any kind can lead to much higher risk of mental and behavioral issues for young people, study finds. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/08/health/ageism-racism-sexism-discrimination-mental-health-effects-wellness/index.html

Saunders, H. and Panchal, N. (2022, June 22). A look at suicide rates ahead of 988 launch-a national three-digit suicide prevention hotline. KFF. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/a-look-a-suicide-rates-ahead-of-988-launch-a-national-three-digit-suicide-prevention-hotline/#:~:text=Suicide%20deaths%20are%20increasing%20fastest,who%20live%20in%20rural%20areas.

Spallek, Reeske, A., Norredam, M., Nielsen, S. S., Lehnhardt, J., & Razum, O. (2015). Suicide among immigrants in Europe–a systematic literature review. European Journal of Public Health, 25(1), 63–71. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku121

Suicide Prevention Resource Center a. (2021). Hispanic populations. Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://sprc.org/scope/racial-ethnic-disparities/hispanic-populations

Suicide Prevention Resource Center b. (2021). Racial and ethnic disparities. Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Retrieved from https://sprc.org/scope/racial-ethnic-disparities