Capability for suicide: Discrimination as a painful and provocative event.

Abstract

Developing the capability to die by suicide, and overcoming one's natural instinct of self-preservation, is thought to occur as a result of habituation to the fear and pain surrounding suicide. However, investigations of suicide capability have yet to examine whether perceived discrimination serves as a painful and provocative event that contributes to capability for suicide. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association of perceived discrimination and suicide capability for Black and White adults. The study sample included 173 Black adults (67.6% female; Mage =23.18, SD=5.74) and 272 White adults (60.7% female; Mage =22.80, SD=5.90). Participants completed a questionnaire battery that included measures of perceived discrimination, depression, and suicide ideation. Regression analyses revealed for Black adults (but not White adults), perceived discrimination was associated with an increased capability for suicide after accounting for depressive symptomatology, suicide ideation, non-discriminatory painful and provocative events experienced, age, and gender (β=.226, t=3.154, p=.002). These findings provide preliminary evidence that perceived discrimination may play a role in suicide capability for Black adults and highlight the importance of considering contextual experiences when examining suicidality in underserved groups.