Suicide is a growing public health concern and the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.) Although African American women generally have the lowest suicide rates, studies have shown that these rates have rise for African American women. Further, African American women have the highest rates of medically treated suicide attempts, which are attempts that require medical intervention due to the severity. One way to reduce these inclines in suicide rates is to provide culturally-responsive mental health interventions aimed to reducing suicidal intent. Culturally relevant interventions are tailored to incorporate cultural characteristics associated with the population being served, and this technique may be beneficial in preventing suicidal behaviors in African American women. The purpose of this study was to examine two questions: (1): Does a 10-week culturally-relevant mental health intervention increase protective factors against suicide (e.g., racial identity, Africultural coping) among low-income African American women with past suicide attempts, and (2) does this intervention decrease risk factors for suicide (e.g., suicide intent) among low-income African American women with past suicide attempts? The results of the study will be discussed along with the limitations. Additionally, suggestions for future clinical work with suicidal African American women will be discussed.
