Reducing Suicidality Among Black Boys Using Cultural and Environmentally Based Mental Health Counseling Interventions

Abstract Research on the rising rates of suicidal behavior in Black boys has sparked national response from mental health counselor educators, school personnel, federal and state government, and faith-based communities. Theories and interventions are needed that address the holistic influences on suicidality, suicidal ideation, and nonsuicidal self-injury from multiple perspectives. This chapter will address the recent literature and efforts to address these recent changes in suicide among Black boys through an overview of culturally based theories, prevention programming, and a mini-case study intervention. Special issues on suicidality in Black boys will be reviewed along with theories on counseling African American boys. The authors contrast the pros and cons of resilience approaches for African American adolescents. In addition, the authors propose ecological and environmental approaches to supplement the biopsychosocial models. Specifically, the authors will examine the impacts of allergies and allergy medications on the mental health of Black boys as well as the literature on household (i.e., pest and dust) and environmental allergens (i.e., tree pollen) that trigger the histaminergic system and increase the potential for depression and suicide. The authors offer considerations for clinical, research, and policy implications for a novel approach to address suicide within African American boys and provide a more complete model of mental health counseling intervention to reduce and prevent suicidal behaviors and ideations among Black boys. Black and African American are used interchangeably throughout the chapter.