African-American Women Who Have Lost

¶ … African-American Women Who Have Lost a Male Son to Suicide

A Re-Examination of cultural factors that mitigate risk and promote resilience in relation to African-American suicide: A review of the literature and recommendations for future research

Accoding to Utsey, Hook & Stanard (2007), there was the discussion of the history of African-American Suicides. Their reports about suicide of African-Americans brought out the confirmation of the acknowledgement of the Surgeon General in the U.S. As a grown crisis. Nonetheless, there is little research about suicide on the factor among this population and that leaves a huge gap for the mitigation of the issue. In the journal, there is a review of suicide among African-Americans, through study of the culture and overall view of African-Americans. According to the study, it is reported that 2002 recorded 1,939 suicides. Out of these cases, male suicides comprised 84%. The case was different for African-American women, who despite reports of attempted suicides, recorded lower cases of suicide. It also reported the fact that African-American women had the lowest suicidal rate compared to other ethnic and racial groups. High rates among youths aged between 15 and 24 were the most alarming with male youths committing suicide at a rate higher than female youths.

The focus of this study is on the available research reports about African-American suicide as influenced by cultural factors. It is most interested on the influence of cultural factors in lowering suicidal rates among African-Americans. This is done through the review of literature pertaining to socio cultural risks, and protective factors in relation African-American suicides. The research also discusses the protectiveness of the African-American culture with focus on the degree, which cultural factors reduce the risk of suicide among African-Americans. The research finalizes by noting the methodologies of past researched in terms of limiting aspects of methodologies used. Further, it gives recommendations for future research, and highlights the implications that research on suicide among African-Americans have on public policy and clinical practice.

African-Americans are most likely to link their beliefs about God into issues of suicide. This is contrary to European-Americans perception, and their avoidance of bringing God into the suicidal equation whenever a person commits suicide (Walker, Lester & Joe, 2009). The European-Americans view suicide from an interrelationships angle and that leaves the burden of any suicides on the government. It is typical for African-Americans to blame suicide on the plans made by God. In situations where there is deterioration of interpersonal elations, there are reports of higher suicidal cases compared to those with balanced interpersonal relationships. These situations have young males falling victim of suicide than females. In the case of African-Americans, there is the belief that any death is an ordination from God. They believe that for someone to commit suicide, God must have planned his death through suicide. This creates diversity in attitudes of young white and black Americans.

According to Walker, Alabi & Obasi (2010) in their examination of the relationship between 'reasons for living' and culture, there was a significant evidence for moderation of suicidal cases from cultural beliefs in black Americans and not in European-Americans. The presence of hopelessness washes out the desire for living for European-Americans. That was also evident in African-Americans having little affiliation to cultural beliefs. The conceptual frameworks that scholars use in evaluating African-American suicide cases are the ecological frameworks, the psychological frameworks and sociological perspectives. According to the sociological perspective, suicide results from malfunction between a person and society. This can be traced to the effects of racism and ethnic oppressions experienced by African-Americans over a long period.

The psychological framework suggests that suicide is a result of harbored anger towards oneself. Feelings of depression, anger and hopelessness experienced by African-Americans comes out in terms of violent characters and that leaves them with little time or thinking about suicide as compared to those ethnic groups, which internalize their emotional distresses. For the research o ecological affiliation to suicide, it is evidenced that suicide is a result of growing competition for scarce resources. Those loosing hope for success chances develop low self-esteem and failure thoughts making them prone to falling victim of suicide. This is a relevant theory overwhelmed by urban competitiveness for resources while they languish in poverty, unemployment, and crime and socio economic despair.

Other than those factors pointing to causal factors for suicide, there are also protective actors, which prevent African-Americans from falling victim of suicide. There have been research on the influences of Christianity and religion as protective factors from suicide (Mollock, Puri, Matlin & Barksdale, 2006). Other strengths against suicide re cohesiveness of family unites, support of social networks and close friendships. Socio-cultural risk factors that increases suicidal cases are as, racial inequality, substance abuse, trauma, illicit drugs, family dysfunctions and psychological distress. Negative attitudes to mentally ill people aggravate the possibilities of suicide (Moskos, Olson & Halbern, 2005).

Research on African-American suicide and factors of cultural protectiveness is still insufficient. The use of quantitative research methods for this kind of research only gives assumptions related to previous researches and does not explore the issues first hand. In the study of strengths buffering African-American suicides, there is need for broader conceptualization of cultural implications. The methodology used for the study through reviews of present literature is insufficient o provide any substantial conclusions. This is because available literature has focus on Christianity, pro-social behavior, social support, familial variables and religion, which may not have full affiliation to cultural perspectives (Mollock, Puri, Matlin & Barksdale, 2006). It is also limiting studying subsections is limiting.

In addition, it is inappropriate studying risk factors, attitudes and strengths of African-Americans against European-Americans because of the differences in cultural beliefs and the diversity, which exists between the groups. The world overview also has factors not substantially verified as affiliates to the African-American culture. The methodology used did not focus on those who attempt suicide, but instead focused on those who commit suicide. That presents flaws into the methodology because there are substantial reports about those who attempt, but never complete the suicidal act. Cross-sectional correlation research design used is limit research findings as they lack the advantages, which a longitudinal or autopsy research design presents to matters of emotions.

Social work research on African-Americans and suicidal behavior: A Systematic 25-Year Review

Through a systematic critical review, Joe & Niedermeier (2008) provides support for the dissemination of suicide among African-American populations. Through the research, the need for further research and better tools for data collection arises. The study evaluates the publications from social workers to determine their implications and awareness on the issue of suicide among African-Americans. It also looks at risk factors and availability of effective treatments through an evaluation of web-based studies of social abstracts, manual researches and pscINFO. By studying of manuals published by social workers, the researchers aimed at getting reasonable amounts of data for the period 1980 and 2005. From the study, the results showed that an approximate of 30,000 African-Americans commit suicide yearly.

The research also reported a significant national interest in reducing suicide cases especially among ethnic and racial groups. It also showed a relatively lower suicide reports among African-Americans as compared to European-Americans. There also exists dramatic shifts in statistics pertaining to the number of suicide cases recorded. The common perception for this is that African-American youths least engages in suicidal behaviors that can lead to suicide as compared to their while counterparts. However, current researches refute such a claim because through the study of the lifespan of African-Americans and that of European-Americans, there is comparability in the rates of suicide among African-American and European youths (Joe & Niedermeier, 2008).

Liamputtong (2010) explains the claim about cultural affiliation to suicide, when he says that there is an importance for the study of cross-cultural aspects in the postmodern world because of the marginalization and vulnerability of people. The researcher notes the importance of qualitative research focused on captivating the attention of participants and evaluating their feelings about the situation of suicide under relevant theoretical frameworks. It is, therefore, necessary to design further theoretical frameworks for researching, which researchers can use to base their studies of culture and suicide for the derivation of reliable results. From the research, only 11 articles published by social workers regarding suicide among African-Americans were fond.

In these, the factors reviewed were suicidal risk factors, research and implications of clinical social work. It was evident that suicide is a top killer in the world and there is need for training of professionals on means of developing suicide mitigation programs. The increase of suicide behavior among African-American males comes because of frustrating life effects leading to disproportionate indulgence in self-destructive behaviors. Male African-Americans are more a risk of attempted and completed suicides as compared to the females. It is exceedingly significant noting the need for the contribution of social workers to mitigate the rising cases of suicide. This is because the highest percentage of health professionals dealing with mental health is social workers. This positions them in the best place for intervening and setting up relevant programs for settling the suicide cases.

However, conventional beliefs that there is low rate for African-American involvement in suicidal activities, there exists minimal focus on learning the possible suicide patterns among African-Americans. Social workers are not aware of the risks and protectiveness among African-Americans. This gives room for misinterpretation of facts concerning self-destructive activities of African-Americans. The research further stresses the importance of social workers to the study of suicide among African-Americans. They also have the capacity for influencing national policies and strategies for the mitigation of suicidal cases. Through the research, it was evident that there exists extremely little information about the empirical knowledge of social workers practicing in this sector with regard to the works featured by the social work researchers.

With the evidently increasing need for social workers, it is necessary to study the capacities of knowledge of social workers regarding issued of suicide. This is relevant to the increase of social workers in the clinical sector within mental institutions. There is reliance on professional literature and practice knowledge, but there is dire need for unique perspectives and concepts to build scientific clinical knowledge applicable to the social practice related to African-American suicide.

The period of his research is not adequate for gathering ample information regarding suicide. The seven years studied cannot give a clear picture about the developments of suicide studies conducted by social workers. Basing the research on studying peer-reviewed journals for the access of knowledge possessed by social workers only provided resources relevant for making assumptions about the issue. The methodology left out the possibility of using a different approach for engaging social workers into contributing to the research objectives, and possibly getting relevant practical information absent in the reviewed literature.

Because of the evidence presented in the research showing growing cases of suicide among youths, clinicians deserve accurate information to help them in designing preventive measures for suicidal cases. This is only possible through an understanding of the trends and patterns of suicide. The success of such input is only possible through the involvement of social workers in research to have their input and opinions given consideration when making any conclusions and recommendations. These can help clinicians in finding ways for reducing mental disorders, hopelessness, childhood trauma, physical violence and other risk factors. The sample of the study was not adequate and even the reviewed articles contained limited in formation about suicide. It limited the study of existing variables among groups of segregated races.

Cultural Considerations in Adolescent Suicide Prevention and Psychosocial Treatment

In this study, there is the analysis of the cultural behaviors of different communities pertaining to suicide. There is a difference in how different ethnic groups react to suicide cases as reported in this article. There are different risk factors and protective capabilities presented by different ethnic groups. There are discussion of cross cutting factors for suicide prevention and the roles of religion and spirituality in the mitigation of suicide within different communities. There is a role of family participation in reduction or the mitigation and reduction of suicide cases among African-Americans. Also reported is the need for cultural sensitivity and community based interventions as well as provision of opportunities for preventing suicide and helping in development after grief. The article discussed how cultural beliefs affect adolescents' proneness to suicide. These are such as acculturative stress, collectivism, cultural sensitivity of families, religion and spirituality. There also comes out that cultural mistrust, on seeking help and utilizing of resources for helping suicidal cases aggravates the situation. The limitation in this research is its focus on various aspects leaving the findings inconclusive because of the lack of adequate saturation of available information on the phenomenal subject.

Parent-Offspring Conflict and Cost-Benefit Analysis in Adolescent Suicidal Behavior: Effects of Birth Order and Dissatisfaction with Mother on Attempt Incidence and Severity. Human Nature

According to Andrews (2006), his quantitative research was on the parent-offspring conflict and the cost benefit analysis of suicidal behavior among adolescents. There was the exploration of birth order effects in relation with mothers who have suffered from the effects of suicide attempts from male children. There was evident presence of adolescent parent conflict in relationships with significant dissatisfaction of adolescents with their mothers. The dissatisfied adolescents had higher percentages of attempting suicide. The prevalence was higher in middle children who made up 23% of suicide attempts as compared to their counterpart first and lastborns. However, they had higher odds for receiving treatment as compared to first and lastborns. This ranked 8.5 times higher chances for treatment making it a necessity to invest in their treatment. This proved adolescents to control the finances of their parents and conforms to the hypothesis made by Andrews (2006) regarding the effects of adolescent suicide attempts.

The use of the quantitative research method is insufficient in getting to understand the implications of adolescent suicide on their parents. There may be evidence of dissatisfaction among the adolescents, but the research method cannot sufficiently exploit the causal factors of the dissatisfaction. The limitation of the approach gives facts regarding the means through, which adolescents manipulate their parents financial status but does not exhaust the extent to, which they attain their demands. Following the effects of suicide attempts on parents, adolescents manage to find what they need financially from their parents because the parents would not want to compromise their situation into driving the adolescents into resorting to suicide. It is also manipulative to the extent that parents have to spend so much money treating their adolescent children, in order to prevent them from any future attempts. That also gives the adolescents the chance of healing from the effects of initial suicide attempts.

However, by using the longitudinal approach in studying the adolescents, it came out that there is eminent feeling of un-wontedness among most adolescents. That is the main point of suicidal triggers especially when they feel that their siblings receive more love than what their parents offer them. Since report by Andrews (2006), states that family disorders, the hypothesis of the research should not depend solely on the results of past researches, but needs focus on a broad range of hypotheses. One other limitation of the study is that there are reports of parents becoming sympathetic towards their children who have attempted suicide. The use of quantitative method of research does not provide adequate room for the evaluation of the extent of psychological influence, which provokes sympathy leading to financial support of the suicidal children (Creswell, 2009).

The present biases in the report exist due to the limitation of veracity and memory of participants who gave retrospective reports used in the research data. There was also the possibility of identification of those who drop out of the first wave because of succeeding in their suicide attempts. It is also possible that out of the 1,601 participants of the research were siblings and given no scale for identification of siblings, identifying birth disorder effects existing within families became hard. This may have been a minimal effect, but would still have a significant effect on the estimates due to dependency of some of the research variables. The methodology used for this research was also not efficient in the development of any measure of suicide associated death risks.

The reports depended on socio-demographic and treatment factors. There was no possibility of determining how any interventions from parents can reduce the risk of suicide. The result of the research shows that there is no ample evidence on the degree at, which adolescents can manipulate their parents with suicide attempt for financial gain. However, the results also showed that some parents to solicit financial gain from some social partners just as adolescents could use suicide attempts as negotiation measure for the deteriorating relationships; (Watson & Andrews, 2002) could also use the vulnerability of adolescents to suicide.

Explaining Suicide Among Blacks and Whites: How Socioeconomic Factors and Gun Availability Affect Race Specific Suicide Rates

This research uses data from the military death records in its study of gun availability and social-economic factors influencing racial suicide statistics. There is focus on suicide motivators and possible opportunities for shaping the rates for black and white males. The findings state that race is a predictor in suicide with blacks being more prone than whites are. With increase to firearms access, black males making it clear that there exists a relationship between city structural composition, suicide and availability of guns.

The methodology of the paper is limiting in its comparison of white and black men. That is because there is no homogeneity between the two groups and their comparison leads to a lack of express consideration of motivators and disadvantages. The possibility of desegregation of masculine social categories in quantitative research is limiting. The research cannot effectively the knowledge of suicidal intensity in younger males as compared to older males. There are also inputs stating that suicidal thoughts in bisexuals and gays are higher than in straight men. These limitations defy the possibility of exploration of sociological existence of data like biographies and narratives of victims, survivors, friends and their relatives. The research methodology also limits any possibilities of studying socio-political dimensions of power and masculinity.

The available literature used in the study is devoid of adequacy making them unreliable for devolving any substantial conclusion regarding suicide and gun availability. There is no reliable data about the levels of gun ownership in United States and this leads to inadequacy of information regarding availability of guns. This limits previous studies on guns availability and their relation to suicide cases, thus, hindering the possibility of this research collecting adequate literature on suicide motivators in black males. There is an overlooking of any additional factors, which may lead to suicide in this research. The lack of additive models in the literature which bases on availability of opportunity and suicide. These present unanswered questions about the degree of the link between suicide and guns as well as how gun availability is a relative predictor of suicide.

Focusing research on racial grounds limits exploration of other aspects such as emotional affiliations, which may motivate the different groups of males under study. It is limiting focusing on death records, homicide data, socioeconomic census data and racial demographics in cities. It relies on the presentation of opportunities for committing suicide due to firearms availability and motivation for suicide among males. As there are other factors, which may lead to suicide in males other than the availability of firearms, the study is incapable of completely devolving the issues, which present suicidal risks in males. The research methodology cannot address factors such as emotional instability or even the qualitatively identified aspect of males committing suicide to punish others. it, however, deduces the relationship of suicide and its motivators on the structural status of victims' environment such as poverty, education and joblessness, which faced a difference in variability from the presence of firearms.

There comes a situation where availability of firearms motivates suicide more than disadvantageous situations for black males. Disadvantage levels may differ and taking the fact that the study data come from past records, the research cannot affectively find out what causes the proneness to suicide on firearm availability. Different disadvantage levels act as influencers to suicide owing to gun availability for white and black males. Therefore, this study fails in the presentation of the chance for testing the hypotheses as it points out the link between suicide and disadvantage. The lack of longitudinal approach in the research limits the conclusion of any coherence in the trend of suicide among black males. This leaves the research with questions regarding longitudinal changes caused by suicide from gun availability within different city setups as may become causal factor for proneness suicide in black males.

PROPOSAL

Study of the Experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

Introduction

Research is very essential in all disciplines. There are different types of research methods that can be used to study an issue like suicide. The significance of research is to provide information relevant to a field for the improvement of performance or provision of information regarding its status. This way, research plays a crucial role in making advancements and developments relevant to any field as it opens new avenues of operating. However, depending on the research method used, results of a study may vary in capacity as much as any method used is always aimed to provide some form of insight to a topic of under study.

Every research has objectives it desires to meet at the end of the set period. The achievement of research objectives is guided by research questions, which a researcher uses to answer issues in a topic of study. Hypothesizes can be drawn regarding the topic with expectations of proving or refuting them at the end of a research. The methodology used for a research can face certain forms of limitations and researchers must have such possibilities catered for when creating expectations for the research.

In the articles reviewed in this study, different researchers conducted their studies on topics related to suicide among African-Americans. They used quantitative approach for gathering their data and did comprehensive analysis of their literature. There was the study of the relationship between suicide and African-Americans in the context of cultural beliefs, input of social workers, and parental influences. From the reviewed articles, it is evident that the rate of suicide among African-Americans is on the rise. There are various aspects, which put African-Americans under the pressure of committing suicide like racial effects, social imbalances and economical issues.

Effects of loosing a child to suicide

Loosing a child is a very painful experience and it affects very negatively on the lives of most parents. This is even greater when the child dies because of suicide. Experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide is the focus of my study and it is a topic that has received attention in the recent past with several scholars and researchers putting so much research efforts to understand the reported dramatic increase in adolescent suicides (CDC, 2007). A mother who as lost a male child because of suicide is a delicate one and it can lead to a series of emotional, social and physical implications requiring comprehensive treatment. Statistically, suicide ranks third as death cause among African-American males aged between 151 and 24 years (CDC, 2007). Treatment is a crucial necessity for the mothers, communities and families who lose their children to suicide. The impact of suicide on mothers of African-American mothers who lose their children to suicide is exceedingly high. Despite the fact that there has been research on the topic, there is clear need for further research in the matter to deliberate new ways of helping mothers with their experiences after their children commit suicide. Through this qualitative research, there will be use of phenomenological approach to bring out the experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide. This makes the study essential to not only the mothers but also to the family and community at large. The importance of this study is to get deep into the Experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide and come up with possible means of helping parents and caregivers into understanding the issue better.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

Problem Statement

For the past 20 years, there has been significant change in the suicidal patterns among male African-Americans. There are reports that male Africans have higher risks of committing suicide as compared to their European-American counterparts (CDC, 2007). Due to the increasing suicide rates, among male African-American children, there has been a rise in the phenomenological increase of male suicide victims in the United States. However, there has been minimal inquiry into the matter and that brings out the need for this research. Such minimal input into the matter leaves policy formulation with limited information leaving out some crucial matters that the policies need to tackle in the formulation process. One such ignored position in the past is the plight of African-American women who lose their male children to suicide. What aggravates the situation even more is the presence of spiritual and cultural factors hindering dialogue about suicide. The input of researcher and scholars into matters affecting the lives of people is to conduct phenomenological studies of occurrences. It is further required that focus stays on a specific group for the identification of influencing factors and variables that can lead to the hearing of the voices of the affected people by a given issue (Creswell, 2007).

Research condition, African-American Phenomena or Issue

Probably, this study can help the continuation of the ongoing dialogue on the suicide cases in the community and most especially on the experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide. It will describe the roles of family, culture and religion to suicide and come up with available resources and programs available for the community utilization.

Purpose Statement

The focus of this study is to research on the real experiences of African-American mothers who have lost a male child to suicide, and explore existing spiritual and cultural factors that makes any discussion about suicide "taboo."

Research Objectives

The objectives of the research are:

To investigate the experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

To study the role played by religion and spirituality in the lives of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

To investigate the African-American opinions towards suicide

To investigate how suicide affects the lives of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

To investigate the rationality of African-American mothers who have experienced the painful death of their male children to suicide within the family and community.

To study the first response of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

To research the available resources for helping of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide in the community

To study the available support that the government gives to Experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide

Research Question

What are the experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide?

Literature Review

Theoretical Framework

This research will use phenomenological approach rooted in Husserl's approach. This is a research methodology that gives a research two approaches based on psychological basis of the 'Duquesne School" and the experiential approaches associated with Thompson (Giorgi, 1989). Phenomenological approach is appropriate for studying experiences and that is through observations, discussions, interviews and participation of correspondents. It gives room for better understanding of a subject from the perspective of the affected and provides for ample room for interpretation of the findings. This gives space for analysis of memories and accounts of experiences from individuals (Creswell, 2007).

Discussion of proposed study in relation to theory

A qualitative approach seeks detailed information from various interpretations for a better understanding of subjects for the provision of better understanding, direction and recommendations for further studies (Creswell, 2007). The researcher is an exceedingly necessary part of the research findings and recommendations and that makes his opinions and views about the subject necessary in the research findings and conclusions in the research process (Creswell, 2007). Adequate sampling of participants by a researcher gives ample results and can always make conclusions about a research.

There is the possibility of the research generating new theory. Inductive approach is reminiscent and can produce data related to the phenomena of suicide (Barnett-Page & Thomas, 2009). Through investigation of the phenomena of the experiences of African-American Women who have lost a male son to suicide opens up new avenues of focus through the findings of the study. There have been several explanations of the suicide phenomenon conducted in laboratories through quantitative approaches. Through the adoption of phenomenological qualitative approach, this research is an addition to the present data previously found through quantitative researches (Thomas, 2009).

There have been recordings of increase on suicide among African-American males and adding maternal voices just enhances the factor and need for mitigating the issue. It can help in designing of counseling programs for helping the mothers and giving social workers space for developing best means for handling their patients. It tries to determine the fact believed that women who have lost their male children to suicide are less liked because of being blamed for the death of the child. The phenomenological approach will help in determining the feelings of African-American women who have lost their male children to suicide. Other researches found that parents have the feeling that religious communities give them inadequate help when they are in need (Bernes, 2006). This research can find ways of helping the grieving mothers in a realistic way.

Cultural Implications

In other research about suicide among African-Americans Gibson, Gallaher & Jenkins (2010) stated that the silence of voices of suicide is because of various reasons. One prominent factor that makes people quite about suicide is the consequence of familial denial because of suicide. This may be in cases of attempted suicide that leads to disowning of victims leading them into even more vulnerable situations, which increase their risk of finally pulling through with suicide. The feeling of denial and shame from families is a depressing thing for mothers who have lost their male children to suicide (Thomas, 2009). It hinders the women from telling their stories and it takes a toll on them in an emotionally burdening manner throughout their lives. Through this research, there will be ample space for the sampling of women who have suffered from the loss of male children and letting them tell and share their stories. The aim for this is to have the stories out for further research to use, and for helping future women and families in means of dealing with their suicide losses. This research will probably help towards contributing to mitigation of the silence and desire to move on with lives once a suicidal case rocks their lives.

Implications for Family Therapy

Family therapy is one process that can help the family in preventing suicide (Prabhu, Molinari, Bower & Lomax, 2010). Suicide is an act of pilled up anger, despair and the desire for escaping from intolerable pain the victims associate with bonding disturbances within the family. The interpersonal loss and incapability for receiving social support from the family leaves the victims with little option. through online databases, the research evaluated articles that tackle the best means of suicide prevention. The result of this is a three approach basis for prevention of suicide in families being family adhesion, family cohesion and new family formation. Social adaptability and family cohesion is an important factor for influencing the rate of suicide among African-Americans (Compton, Thompson & Kaslow, 2005). Through a qualitative research (Grant and Greif, 2009), males raised by single African-American mothers face great risks of committing suicide. These relate to the experiences African-American mothers have when raising their male children presenting them to suicide prone situations.

Social workers input to the mitigation of suicide

On the other hand, there is also evident significance in having informed social workers on matters regarding suicide. This is because they are in direct contact with patients and can help a research process in finding out factors relevant to the mitigation of suicidal cases. Parental influences in the lives of their children also determine the attitudes of their children regarding suicide. After suicide of children, parent have a hard time readjusting and assuming normal activities like going back to work. There was also the study of cultural influences on adolescents and means of creating psychosocial preventive measures to mitigate the possibilities of being suicidal from an early onset of symptoms. Overall, there has been an evaluation of available data and methods used to collect them. There quantitative methods used have visible obstacles for making conclusive input in the research area of suicide among African-American. Therefore, there is a final research paper presented using a qualitative research method perceived as the most relevant method for studying topics related to human experiences. That helps in collecting data related to family, culture, religion, and treatment, mental and other risk or protective factors.

Parental triggers of suicide in their children

Through a quantitative research conduced by Andrews (2006), there exists a dissatisfaction among adolescents regarding their parents and that triggers suicidal thoughts and attempts. Conflict between parents and their children is a common phenomenon and these can be associated with many aspects such as a child feeling unwanted as compared to her siblings. In a longitudinal study of more than 1600 adolescents, studied in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and a considerable percentage confirmed the presence of adolescent parent conflicts. The dissatisfied adolescents were the middle aged children comprising 23% of suicide attempts among first and lastborns. The probability of these adolescents getting medical attention was 8.5% staying at a 5% position above suicidal cases among the first and lastborns. This is concurrent to the hypothesis that there is usage of suicide among adolescents as leverage for conflicts between them and their parents (Andrew, 2006).