Observational analysis reveals chronic stress worsens suicide outcomes among Black Americans, suggesting racial centrality may provide a protective buffer.
Objectives Black Americans have experienced a rapid rise in suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts, yet little research has examined whether chronic stress, a well-established driver of mental health disparities, contributes to these suicide outcomes. Chronic stress refers to the persistent, cumulative burdens of daily life shaped by structural racism, making it particularly harmful for Black Americans. Social stress theory emphasizes the importance of psychosocial resources in mitigating the effects of chronic stress. Racial centrality is a culturally grounded measure of racial identity that is related to myriad mental health outcomes. We review data from 627 Black adults in the Nashville Stress and Health Study to ascertain relationships between chronic stress, racial centrality, and suicide outcomes among Black Americans and evaluate whether racial centrality might serve as a buffer against suicide.
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Darling-Hammond et al. (2025) studied this question.
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