A brand-new CDC report showed that suicide rates in the United States had reached a record high in 2022 with nearly 50,000 Americans choosing to die by suicide. From 2018 to 2020, Black adults visited emergency rooms for mental health concerns at a rate that was nearly double that of the national average.
The broadcasting of Black people being killed at the hands of police during 2020 and 2021 might have something to do with those alarming numbers.
Psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere stopped by theGrio with Eboni K. Williams to explain that situational factors like racism can, in fact, lead to suicide and suicide ideation. According to Psychologytoday, other factors like loneliness, delayed grief, and the prevalence of firearms could also be driving the recent upward trend.
Gardere says he’s happy Black people are getting help, but it is disheartening to see them in the ER rather than in psychotherapy or counseling.
“We have to improve all of those particular scenarios so that we get more and more Black people plugged into mental health services, not just to treat mental illness, but to also work on their mental health,” he echoes.
Thankfully, the stigma around suicide is decreasing, and with resources like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, more people have the possibility of getting the help that they deserve.
Check out the full interview above and tune into “theGrio with Eboni K. Williams” at 6 p.m. ET every weeknight on theGrio cable channel.
TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!