Suicide Risk and Protective Factors Among Medicaid-Enrolled Black Youth With a Mental Health Diagnosis

What factors are associated with suicide among Medicaid-enrolled Black youth with a lifetime mental health diagnosis?In this case-control study of 9625 youth, suicide risk was higher among Black youth with depression, psychosis, prior suicide attempts, psychiatric acute care, brain injury, family conflict, violence exposure, and placement in foster care or Medicaid eligibility due to disability status. Contextual-level risk was elevated in urban (vs rural) and moderate and high social vulnerability areas (vs low) and reduced in areas with moderate and high densities of religious institutions (vs low).These findings suggest the need for testing effectiveness of multilevel suicide prevention strategies that address individual, family, and contextual factors for Black youth.

Corresponding Author: Cynthia A. Fontanella, PhD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 444 Butterfly Gardens Dr, Columbus, OH 43215 (Cynthia.fontanella@nationwidechildrens.org).

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