Suicide and older African‐American women

Suicide is rare among older African American women. This article describes a study in which reasons for this phenomenon were explored. A study of attitudes toward suicide was conducted with a sample of African American and Caucasian women, 60 and older, in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, to explore differences between the two groups that might offer possible reasons for dissimilar suicide rates, as well as questions for further research. Scales were used to explore reasons for living, depression, intrinsic religiosity and attitudes toward suicide itself in 85 black (mean age 70.0) and 101 white (mean age 78.25) women through use of questionnaires completed individually by the respondents in group settings. Black participants had significantly greater negative attitudes toward suicide than did whites, as well as somewhat greater intrinsic religiosity. The two groups did not differ on depression, but blacks scored higher on 'reasons for living', although these differences were not large. Total scores were similar on intrinsic religiosity, with a significant difference on only one item. Previous theory suggested possible protective buffers against suicide in older black women. It may be that for older African American women, suicide is simply not seen as an option.