Office of Student Life
Suicide Prevention

UNDERSERVED STUDENTS

  • African American Students
  • Asian American Students
  • Latino American Students
  • Muslim American Students

Black American Students

Historically, the African American population has had one of the lowest rates of suicide. However, the suicide rate for African American college age males has more than doubled in recent years. African American college students report a very low use of counseling services. They report being worried about:

  • Stigma and prejudice
  • Over-pathologizing by mental health professionals
  • Concerns that family members, peers, or professors might learn that they sought counseling help
Suicide risk increases with experiences such as:
  • Isolation from family or spiritual community
  • Prejudice, racial tension, or discrimination
  • A recent loss (e.g., death or break-up)
Resources

 

Asian American

The suicide rates of Asian American college age students are among the highest of their peers. There is a great diversity of cultures and countries of origin included in the term “Asian American,” and suicide rates and levels of risk can vary greatly among this group. One study found that only 17% of Asian American college students who were experiencing mental health problems sought care.

Suicide risk increases with experiences such as:
  • Prejudice, intercultural conflict, or discrimination
  • Conflicts with parents or feeling rejected by them
  • A recent loss (e.g., death or break-up)
  • Financial concerns
  • Traumas, such as those often reported by refugees
Resources

 

Latino American Students

Recent studies have shown that

  • Latino students are at higher risk for attempting suicide than individuals from many other ethnic groups.
  • Latina college-aged females report some of the highest rates of depression.
  • Latino males under 25 are at an increased risk for completing suicide.
  • Among Latino groups, research shows that Puerto Ricans have disproportionately high rates of suicide
Suicide Risk Increases with experiences such as:
  • Isolation from family or spiritual community
  • Prejudice, racial tension, or discrimination
  • Poverty and under- or unemployment
  • A recent loss (e.g., death or break-up)
Resources

 

Muslim American Students

Muslim American students, like all college student populations, are at risk for suicide.

Our knowledge about suicide risk in the Muslim culture is limited for the following reasons:

  • A widely held belief within the Muslim community that suicide does not exist.
  • Many countries with a high percentage of Muslims do not report suicide deaths.
  • There is little research on the prevalence of suicide within the Muslim community available.
  • Within some Islamic countries, suicide and attempted suicide are against the law.
  • Moral stigmatization and legal concerns prevent many Muslims from seeking help.
Suicide Risk Increases with experiences such as:
  • Prejudice or discrimination
  • Inter-cultural conflict
  • An academic problem
  • A recent loss (e.g., death or break-up)
Resources