Color of Health: Stopping the Stigma | Suicide prevention in Louisville’s Black communities

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, know there is help available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling 988, or text LOU to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor.

“The Color of Health: Stopping the Stigma” is a series of pieces highlighting the importance of primary care in an effort to prevent some of the illnesses and diseases that have proven to be the top killers of Black men.

“There’s one that I haven’t talked about, suicide, and that’s because it’s not an easy one for must of us to talk about,” WHAS11’s Eric King said. “But, it’s that silence that allows it to continue and contribute to the stigma of it.”

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States and second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34. The number of Black Americans taking their own lives ins on the rise, as well.

Shelitta Jackson lost her 22-year-old son, LaQuantay, to suicide in 2021. 

“Parents don’t expect to bury their children, we expect our children to bury us,” she said. “I don’t want another mother to go through what I go through every day. It’s hard and you don’t get over it. It doesn’t get easy.”

Jonathan White, a licensed clinical social worker with Norton Healthcare, said he’s noticed a shift in patient demographics over the past few years. 

“People are hurting and they’re dying everyday,” he said. “Suicidality is on the rise in a lot of communities, especially within Kentucky overall, but what I’m seeing is an increased ideation and increased people searching for services in the Black community.”

RELATED: ‘Heightened demand’: These 2 groups aim to bring free mental health services to west Louisville

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there’s no single cause for suicide. 

It most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair.

Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when left unaddressed, increase the risk for suicide. But it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.

See also

Black Health

Studies show a health disparity among Black men with prostate cancer

To learn more about suicide prevention and how to identify risk factors, click here.

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