ABSTRACT

Rates of suicide within the Black community are increasing. Rising rates, coupled with institutional racism, impacts how Black perceive suicide as a problem in their communities. This paper examines the misconceptions that Black Americans hold about the topic of suicide. The current project included data from 25 self-identifying Black adults living in Northeast Ohio. We used a thematic analysis approach to data analysis. Through in-depth interviews, we identified five themes that highlight prominent misconceptions about suicide in Northeast Ohio’s Black community: (1) suicide is related to personal inadequacies; (2) suicide is not a pressing issue in the Black community; (3) clashing perceptions of Blackness and the mentally ill; (4) mentally ill and hopeless; and (5) suicidal thoughts are crazy and will pass. These findings and implications for professionals and for community leaders and members are discussed in detail.