Black Women’s Culture of Social Support to Be Studied for Prevention of Military Suicides
From The Grio – Veterans Affairs officials have announced that studying the uniquely supportive culture of black women might provide a key to addressing the spike in suicides occurring in the armed forces. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Suicides among U.S. military members have spiked this year, with an average of one suicide a day — the highest rate so far during a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.” MSNBC reports that this is an 18 percent increase in military suicides compared to last year.
While the government does not break down military suicides according to race, among the general population African-American women have the lowest suicide rate of any group. Surprisingly, white men die most often by their own hand. “The suicide rate among white men was 25.96 per 100,000 from 2005 to 2009, according to the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention,” related Government Executive magazine in its piece on studying black women to reduce soldier suicides. “By comparison, the rate for black women was less than three suicides per 100,000.”
Veterans Affairs mental health director for suicide prevention, Jan Kemp, told the publication that the specific social qualities black women exhibit will be examined by her group to determine how they might be applied for military personnel. Desirable features of how African-American women relate include open and honest communication, strong social support, and positive encouragement.
“The sense of community among themselves, and the … built-in support that they get from each other is something we’re paying a lot of attention to, and trying to find ways to emulate,” Kemp told Government Executive. “I think often that veterans and men don’t have that same sort of personal support, and we have to build that for them.”
Facets of black women’s intensely loyal communities were glimpsed in a recent Washington Post story that focuses on how we are faring. This in-depth article elaborates on the findings of the most extensive poll concerning black women to date. The ladies featured are positive, resilient, and dedicated to helping each other thrive with full awareness of the pervasive stereotypes and depressing statistics threatening their sense of efficacy.
The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll detailed found that 67 percent of black women describe themselves as having high self-esteem, as opposed to only 43 percent of white women — among other surprising facts that demonstrate that black women maintain their self-esteem regardless of circumstances.
The main question that the Post story fails to answer is: why? Why do black women have better emotional outcomes than both white men and women in the differing areas of suicide and self-esteem? Kemp and her colleagues will need to know how black women have survived the “double burden” of female and racial oppression if this incredible coping ability is to be transferred to soldiers.
Sooooo, they’re putting up another study of us?
I can’t wait for this election to be over.
And if you look at the weight and stress levels of most black women, we’re NOT coping, we’re surviving while other groups are thriving. How many are married? How many are single mothers? How many are just working instead of obtaining that career? How many have a strong support system if they wanted to start a business? How many can be Stephanie Meyer, able to write Twilight because her family and home were set up?
Can people start playing chess instead of checkers with these types of questions?
Let’s see…our complexion (tanning ck, our booties (implants, or trading us in for hispanics, etc.)ck, our men ck, our lips, hips, dips, ck,. Now. How can I have your soul???????????????? Watch all of em start carrying bibles!(;_)Haleleuyer! BUT THEY DON’T WANT OUR HAIR…well let’s see,their wearing weaves, and braids and twists and. Oh. I guess the wanted that too!
Oh wow, let’s research and dissect that thing called a “black woman.” Why can’t “it” be easily broken like the rest of the people? *rolls eyes*
I have a better idea, discharge all military service men, that way the po widdle white boys won’t to need kill defenceless men women and children – and then show their penitence by killing themselves.
“Hey Black women! Your lives are the WORST and you all commit suicide the LEAST! Why is that?!??!?!!!”
Because you cultivate a different kind of strength when you’re the world’s punching bag.
yes!
Amen to that Shola!
That was a rhetorical question and it obviously went over the both of your guys’ heads
What is really so wrong about studies about black women or whatever specific group? I am a black woman who likes to research black women issues and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. Even though it is much harder for black scholars to get funding at the government level, it’s not impossible to think that we are truly interested in our own people and that its not just the white man dissecting us.
Anyways I love the concept of this study as its something I’ve been interested in through my own studies. Unfortunately I think they miss the mark wanting our culture of social support to be applied to the military or to men. I doubt that it will be successful on any measure.
Is any other group as “studied” as we’ve been since the last election?
NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.
Some of ya’ll really need to catch a clue. This is NOT about us, it is about othering black women from the rest of the country. JEEZUS Christmas Christ. How have ANY of these studies looked at us in a positive way? Can you answer that? I strongly suspect you’re not even aware of the other two “studies” that came out this week. Even this is just wondering why we haven’t OFFED ourselves!!!
Actually, gurl bye. It is too early for my blood pressure to pop after typing this comment.
I dont think the study of black women is an issue, it is how that information is used.
@MT
The “study” of us shouldn’t be going on at.all. Once again, none of this is for black women’s benefit. I’m really wondering if some of the women who read this site ever paid attention IF you all attended school in the first place to any history classes.
I read some of these comments and my reaction is WTF???? Because I can’t comphrehend how GROWN women are so clueless.
To Anon: The disparity between the amount of articles on minority groups published in reputable journals versus the amount that makes it to mainstream media makes it easy to get defensive. Maybe you have no idea the wealth of information that exists beyond what the media deems as important or shocking.
Tonton: I agree that how studies are eventually used needs to be critically analyzed, that’s why I don’t agree with this particular study. But there is nothing wrong with exploring certain topics, especially ones like these.
As someone who aspires to be a clinical psychologist with a focus on African-Americans, and as someone who desires to conduct and publish research on African-Americans, I would have to respectfully disagree with you, Anon. It’s just that not newspapers generally are going to sensationalize published reports, or only pick out the most interesting or newsworthy pieces. The American Psychological Association has division 45, dedicated to Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, and other divisions of course have overlap. Not every study will be to our benefit, but I would not go as far to say we should not be studied at all.
I used to work in the sciences, I have friends who work in the media, I’m aware of EXACTLY how this information will be used and distorted. These “topics” have already been heavily covered. Solutions have been put out there. Since like the 80′s many of these things have been public knowledge.
What confuses me the most is how there is a generation of black women (35 and under) so thirsty and desperate for ANY media coverage that they would invite gawking just to say they got on T.V. or in the paper. Although the answer for that is actually easy to prove as well, and the predictors of that were in the early 90′s. I am just REALLY at a loss for this desperation for attention. There are times in life when it is best to be IGNORED and fly under the radar and right now is one of those times.
It sounds like you are more irritated at the Black women quoted in the article if I am not mistaken. I was more headed in the direction of research that actually helps Black people. Applied research.
That “applied research” is not for our benefit.
Not in this article, yes obviously. In generally it can be.
*general
I… will let you keep your delusions because if you’re still an aspiring therapist, then you need all the happy thoughts you can hang onto.
@Anon
Thank you. The cluelessness of SOME Black women, it seems like on every issue,(whether reality shows, rap/hiphop. etc) is sad and mindboggling and I attribute it to basic stupidity, not ignorance, because the info is staring them in the face.
@gfkag
You are exhibit A.
Cue the longest sigh ever. I suppose society does not need implement interventions for black women in mental health facilities. Because it just is not necessary. We don’t need to do research on the number of homeless black women with mental health trying to get jobs because that’s just irrelevant right? We don’t need to get more services to African-American and Latino kids at risk of using drugs right? We don’t need to stage interventions in schools for kids who have asthma. We don’t need to do research to show the government that these people do need these services and that these kids do exist. Because the African-American kids I work with on a daily basis, whose families, school teachers are not there for them and have no other options than a free program in their neighborhood that acts as a preventive buffer, those kids just don’t matter, right? Research is a waste of time. I mean, who needs to write grants proposals to government agencies to plead for money to have community based services in low-income neighborboods? GOODBYE
I am typing this for whoever else is reading this conversation and seems confused by what Tia said.
I USED TO WORK IN RESEARCH!!! Like with pipettes, peer review, fume hood, lab coat, whole Effin nine. I have friends who work in media. Like at a magazine (nationally known) and several reporters and an editor. So let me break this down for you.
The news industry is hurting. Print publications are taking a hit. Online clicks is where it is at. Many are ANGRY that we have a black president. Attacking him or black men is to obvious. So the focus is on black women. There are ACTUAL instances with the New York Times where they would run pictures of a black child or woman… and we wouldn’t even be the focus of the article! It was for hits. With a generation of apparently CLUELESS black women who are thirsty as heck for any kind of attention with the majority now from fatherless homes and dysfunctional neighborhoods, many are clammering for ANY kind of shine. Not a single “study” has been used to paint us in a positive light. Now you have these ratchet T.V. shows that have WELL DRESSED black women on them acting a fool. So it is not just do-rag Sanquita and video booty-shaking Tankitaqio to possibly avoid hiring or promoting, or living next to, Shannon and Monica are being thrown under the bus as well. And some of ya’ll are FOOLS and not catching on. Have you heard of the show New Girl? See how desirable and NICE those women characters are portrayed? Have you seen Glee? How the only black female character is FAT? Is anyone starting to catch on?
These “studies”, this “othering”, these T.V. shows are pushing you out of mainstream society when this country is more diverse than ever.
None of this information being released will help ANY OF YOU. What new health clinics have you seen pop up to assist black women in dealing with hypertension when we have incredibly high rates even among the young? Because all of this was said in the 70′s, 80′s, and 90′s. I am in my late 20′s and I am APPALLED that so many black women on this site are trying to play games and stick their heads in the sand than admit that these things ARE a big deal. And let me tell you, like how a lot of folks came to realize that being public about BBW gave people an instant judgment as to which side of the fence to place you on, so have some of the comments on this article.
#RealTalk, a lot of us with a clue are dang near ready to pull the ladder up behind us and not drop any knowledge at all because I certainly don’t want some of ya’ll being associated with me in ANY way.
@anon. I HEAR YOU but sometimes your delivery makes it hard to embrace and ponder what your saying. I can relate to your anger and frustration but its your anger and frustration that’s keeping your knowledge from being understood. Don’t pull up the ladder and keep the escape route all for yourself because your voice is needed and serving its purpose if there is just one who hears you and passes it forward
@Anon: I LOVE YOU!!!! Thank you for having sense and telling these braindead, brainwashed, cowardly idiots the facts! It’s so obvious how detrimental all of this is againts Black women in America.