Attempted suicide by black men and women: an 11 year study

Two hundred and thirty-two black patients (103 men, 129 women) who attempted suicide were referred for psychiatric consultation from January 1976 through August 1987. Black male attempters were (1) more often schizophrenic; (2) more apt to be intoxicated; (3) more commonly psychotic; and (4) more prone to use violent methods. Black women were more likely to manifest clinical depression and much more inclined to choose drug overdose as a method. Women were also more apt to jump from buildings or bridges and deliberately set themselves ablaze. Referrals of suicide attempters increased for both sexes over the study period, and violent methods, particularly firearm use, rose steadily among black women over the 11 1/2 years. Recommendations for providing care to black suicide attempters include (1) appreciation of the psychological effects of racism; (2) increased sensitivity to depressive features in black schizophrenics; (3) consideration of affective disorders in young black males frequently involved in violent acts; and (4) awareness of one's own racially biased attitudes.