Understanding and Addressing Increasing Rates of Suicide Deaths Amongst Black Youth

Last week, Academy Award winning actor Regina King lost her only child to death by suicide. The tragic loss of a loved one to suicide is a pain far too many have endured. We speak with Dr. Michael Lindsey, Executive Director, NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research about rising suicide rates among young people of color. Dr. Lindsey served as Chair of the Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health which presented its research to Congress on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to call attention to the crisis of increasing numbers of suicide deaths amongst Black youth in the United States. The study, Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America, addressed issues surrounding awareness, accessibility to mental health services, prevention, and policy.