A new study led by Rutgers University has found a potential reason for the increasing rates of suicide among Black Americans: high rates of policing among the Black LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer) community.
The study surveyed 5,000 participants from either New Jersey, Minnesota, or Mississippi. These states were chosen due to significant differences in state policy, political backgrounds, and discrimination experiences. The authors analyzed the associations of racist (high rates of Black incarceration) and heterosexist (HIV criminalization laws) policies with participants’ history with police interactions and suicidal ideation or behavior.
The research team found Black LGBQ participants living in areas with racist and heterosexist policies were more likely to be stopped by police and experience discrimination and suicidal tendencies. Among White heterosexual participants, living in areas with racist and heterosexist policies was associated with decreased rates of suicidal behavior.
The authors write that their “results provide evidence that racist and heterosexist state policies are linked to policing and interpersonal drivers of suicide inequities and suggest that repealing/preventing oppressive policies should be a suicide prevention imperative.”
