THERE IS GREATER BALANCE FOR ALL.

WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT CHICAGO TONIGHT, BLACK VOICES.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TOGETHER WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>>> SUICIDE SHATTERS COMMUNITY ANY TIME IT HAPPENS.

IT COULD BE ESPECIALLY DEVASTATING WITH THE PERSON WHO HAS LOST THEIR LIFE IS YOUNG.

INCREASINGLY, BLACK COMMUNITIES ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF.

THE CDC SAYS SUICIDE RATES INCREASED BY 37% FOR BLACK PEOPLE 10 THROUGH 24 YEARS OLD, THE HIGHEST RISE OF ANY CATEGORY.

AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH STUDY FOUND AMONG THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN, AGES FIVE THROUGH 12, BLACK CHILDREN WERE TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE THAN WHITE COUNTERPARTS.

BUT RESEARCH SUGGESTS EARLY INTERVENTION CAN HELP SAVE LIVES.

JOINING US NOW ARE JENELLE GOODWILL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY CHICAGO, AND RUTLEDGE, DIRECTLY OF YOUTH AND CAMPUS PROGRAMS .

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

TOUGH TOPIC.

THE REPORTED RISE IN SUICIDE RATES ALARMING AMONG -- ALARMING PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU SAID IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME.

>> RIGHT NOW WE ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE GROUP HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER, FIVE-YEAR-OLD TO 12-YEAR-OLD.

SUICIDE HAS BEEN A SERIOUS AND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG BLACK MALES IN PARTICULAR SINCE THE 1980S.

IN THE RECENT YEARS WE ARE GETTING MORE ATTENTION AROUND THIS ISSUE, PARTICULARLY WITH SUPPORT FROM THE NIH AND BY SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOR SUPPORT FROM CELEBRITIES.

BUT THIS HAS BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL DECADES.

>> WIRE WE JUST NOW TURNING OUR ATTENTION?

>> THERE ARE A FEW REASONS.

I THINK THERE IS A GENERATIONAL SHIFT AND OPENNESS TO ADDRESSING THESE TOPICS PUBLICLY.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE SEEN SUICIDES AMONG MAJOR CELEBRITIES.

THAT ALWAYS GENERATES A LOT OF CONVERSATION.

I DO THINK THERE HAS BEEN INCREASED SUPPORT AND FUNDING FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECT FROM THE NIH.

THAT HAS ALSO BEEN A WAY TO IGNITE WERE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

>> YOU TAKE A FAITH-BASED APPROACH TOWARDS PREVENTING SUICIDE.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK.

>> THANK YOU FOR ASKING AND HAVING ME ON THE SHOW.

WE ARE A CHRISTIAN-BASED ORGANIZATION.

OUR GOAL IS TO EQUIP FAITH LEADERS WITH THE TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY MINISTER TO INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR CONGREGATIONS WERE DEALING WITH SUICIDAL DESPERATION.

>> GO ONE.

>> I WAS GOING TO ADD THAT ONE OF OUR MAIN PHILOSOPHIES OR BELIEVES IS THAT, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION IS GREAT ABOUT SUICIDE, BUT SOME OF THE MAIN BARRIERS TO PREVENTING SUICIDE ARE MORE EMOTIONAL AND HAVE TO DO WITH STIGMA AND SHAME AND FEAR.

AND SO, WE AIM TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES WITHIN THE FAITH COMMUNITY.

>> WHAT KIND OF INTERVENTION DOES RESEARCH SHOW WORK FOR PREVENTING SUICIDE?

>> THAT IS A COMPLICATED QUESTION.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES IS THAT, IN THOSE STUDIES, THERE HAVE BEEN FEW BLACK AMERICANS ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RESEARCH.

IF THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BLACK PEOPLE IN A RESEARCH STUDY, IT MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO DRAW ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS A REPLICATIONS.

RESEARCH DOES SHOW THAT EARLY INTERVENTION, WHETHER SCHOOL-BASED, COMMUNITY-BASED, WHERE FAMILIES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORT EARLY ON, CAN BE FRUITFUL IN PREVENTING SUICIDE AND OTHER ADVERSE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES.

>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, PARTICULARLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

>> WHAT WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH IS THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE CAUSE FOR SUICIDE.

WE KNOW THAT, OF ALL THE REASONS AND ALL THE CAUSES FOR SUICIDE, REALLY COMES DOWN TO TWO.

A LOSS OF HOPE AND A LOSS OF A SOCIAL CONNECTION.

CONNECTEDNESS TO PEOPLE.

WHAT WE DO IS TRY TO URGE FAITH LEADERS TO FOCUS ON HOW TO BUILD HOPE AND HELP PEOPLE FEEL CONNECTED AND COMMUNITIES.

THAT IS ONE OF THE GOALS WE HAVE AT SOUL SHOP.

THE REASONS ARE MULTIFACETED.

I LIKE TO CATEGORIZE THOSE RISK FACTORS INTO THREE.

IT IS AN EASY WAY FOR EVERYDAY AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND , ESPECIALLY BLACK AMERICANS.

YOU LOOK FOR CHANGES IN MOOD, YOU LOOK FOR CHANGES IN WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR CHANGES IN THE WAY THEY TALK, YOU LOOK FOR CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR.

WHEN YOU LOOK FOR THOSE THINGS, AND YOU CAN GO TO A ASP.ORG TO LOOK FOR THOSE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE, THAT CAN OR WHAT YOU TO THAT PERSON EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES.

>> HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE FAITH LEADERS TO SHIFT THEIR APPROACH A LITTLE BIT?

LET'S PRAY ABOUT THIS, BUT ALSO SEEK HELP.

>> YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY, USING THERAPY IS GOOD, PRAYER, AND IF YOU NEED, MEDICATION IS GOOD.

WHAT I THINK , AS A CHRISTIAN MYSELF, ANY PART OF A FAITH COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME, IS THAT I KNOW THAT THE FAITH COMMUNITY IS COMMITTED TO HELPING .

BUT I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, THE RIGHT THINGS TO SAY.

AND SO, WE ARE ATTEMPTING , SOUL SHOP IS ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THAT.

WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO POWER AND ENCOURAGE FAITH LEADERS BY USING THE WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLICAL TEXT.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT SOUL SHOP IS THAT IT IS NOT A SECULAR TRAINING.

IT IS ROOTED IN THE WORD OF GOD.

WE TAKE FAITH LEADERS THROUGH THE BIBLE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO FIND WAYS, AND WE ACTUALLY GIVE THEM A PLAN TO IDENTIFY WAYS THAT THEY CAN INCORPORATE SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF THEIR CHURCH.

>> WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH SHOWING THAT CONTRIBUTES TO SUICIDALITY?

>> IT ALIGNS WITH WHAT WE ALREADY HEARD.

IN A STUDY I PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR, I COLLECTED RESPONSES FROM 18 THROUGH 30-YEAR-OLD BLACK ADULT IN THE U.S.

THE PRIMARY REASONS THEY REPORTED CONSIDERING SUICIDE IS FEELING HOPELESS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND FEELING LIKE THEY COULD NOT LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF FAITH AND RELIGIOSITY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE BENEFITS THAT RELIGION CAN PROVIDE IN PROMOTING HOPE AND A PURPOSE IN LIFE.

>> YOU ALSO SAID THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK AMERICANS AND SUICIDALITY ARE UNDERSTUDIED.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET THAT SPECIFIC DATA?

>> WE ARE SEEING THESE INCREASES.

IF RESEARCHERS TAKE THE STEPS, IF THEY TOOK THE STEPS 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO, TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE RISK FACTORS ARE DIFFERENT FOR BLACK AMERICANS, RECAPS WE CAN ALL WE HAVE A SERIES OF TREATMENT AVAILABLE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LIVED EXPERIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SOME OF THE STRESSORS THAT BLACK AMERICANS FACE EVERY DAY.

THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN A SERIOUS STRESSOR FOR MANY PEOPLE, BUT WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SERIOUS IMPACTS AND DIFFERENCES IN THE WAYS BLACK AMERICANS HAVE EXPERIENCED GRIEF AND LOSS DURING THIS TIME AS WELL.

THAT IS ONE OF MANY TOPICS WE CAN ADDRESS IN THINKING ABOUT THE RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE.

>> HOW CAN UNTRAINED PEOPLE HELP?

IF THEY ARE WORRIED SOMEBODY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED -- CONSIDERING SUICIDE?

>> WHAT ARE THE MESSAGES WE HAVE IS THAT EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING.

IT IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

YOU CAN KNOW WHAT THE RISK FACTORS ARE, THE SIGNS.

JUST LIKE WE KNOW THE RISKS FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE CHOKING OR HAVING A HARD EMERGENCY, A CARDIAC EMERGENCY.

KNOWING THE SIGNS OF SOMEONE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH DISTRESS, AND KNOWING WHAT TO DO IN THAT MOMENT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A TRAINED PSYCHOLOGIST OR CRISIS COUNSELOR TO CHECK ON YOUR FRIENDS, TO ASK THEM IF THEY ARE OKAY, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT, I HAVE NOTICED YOU HAVE BEEN DOWN WERE ANXIOUS.

ARE YOU OKAY?

DON'T BE AFRAID TO HAVE A HARD CONVERSATION.

AND THEN, KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THEY SAY YES, AND KNOW HOW TO