Suicide-Related Experiences among Blacks: An Empirical Test of a Suicide Potential Scale

There has been a continuing controversy concerning the rate of black suicide. A majority of studies reported lower suicide rates for blacks. Contrary to these studies, some of the literature indicates that the opposite is true and that suicide among black Americans has been a problem since the nineteenth century. Developing a Suicide Potential Scale for a number of socially differentiated and stratified census tract populations in a northern city, this paper argues that scores on this scale are related to actual suicidal behavior. Variation in scores among racial groups are examined within two different economic status areas of the city. Little variation in suicide potential scores among racial groups was found within the two economic status areas, but wide variation exists between different economic status areas. These data support the position that variation in suicide among blacks is mainly determined by economic status.