Suicide, Race, and Social Work: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors among African Americans

Purpose: Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. This systematic review examines social work's contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. Method: Using a critical race theory, we examine protective factors specific to African Americans that may mitigate suicide risks. Results reveal that the social work profession has produced 20 suicide-related studies between 1980 and 2018. Results: Identify three types of protective factors against suicide among African Americans. These are: micro-level factors (private regard / strong African American identity and impulsive response to discrimination), mezzo-level factors (family support and the role of women), and macro-level factors (social support, poverty and lack of awareness, religion, access to care, and internal response to community violence). Conclusion: Finding demonstrate evidence of the relationship between protective factors and suicide among African Americans. Implications for the use of Critical Race Theory in Social Work research and practice are provided along with implications to advance suicide training in social work education programs.