2 Reasons Why More and More Black Americans Are Committing Suicide?
Many in the mental health field have started questioning to identify the reason behind the increasing number of Suicides by Black Americans, and the researchers have found many reasons behind it.
This year the USA faced two devastating losses at the beginning of the year 2022. The death of an attorney, former Miss USA, activist, and entertainment news journalist Cheslie Kryst and also the son of Award-winning actress Regina King, Ian King Jr. Both died by suicide, and both were from Black communities, this was a piece of Shocking news to their Entire Fan Base and the Black Community. Both were young Cheslie Kryst was only 30 years old, and Ian King just turned 26 three days before he committed suicide, Both were extremely successful and appeared to have the world at their fingertips.
But sadly Cheslie and Ian King are not alone, Suicide attempts by Black Americans are increasing day by day regardless of their background. A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found out that even though the overall rate of suicide in the USA decreased by a Massive 3% in the year 2020, the rate of Suicide among people of color and young people has increased significantly,
Many in the mental health field have started questioning to identify the reasons behind the increasing number of suicides among the black community and the research has found many factors contributing to it, in this article we have mentioned two main causes of it.
1. Social Media Usage
The Pervasive nature of social media is Undeniable, almost every single person in this world either have at least one to two social media accounts. Social media has pushed “keeping up with the jones” to another level. Our Society has become Curious, and research suggests that the pressures of living life on social media can lead to increased risks of suicide among Blacks.
2. Exposure to racism and anti-Blackness
There is no secret that the Blacks overwhelmingly experience various kinds of racism and discrimination more than any other racial and ethnic group. Back in the past, The Murder of George Floyd in the year 2020 did result in nationwide protests against racism and anti-Blackness.
The sad reality is that George Floyd’s murder was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the malignancy of racism in the US, Black people are facing ongoing experiences with racism and discrimination for centuries.
George Floyd’s Murder served as a key point behind the increased depression and other mental illnesses among the Blacks.
Research has found that regular exposure to racism and discrimination can make a person more likely to experience mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and so on, which could make a person feel like suicide is a better option than living.
