Guest post: Response to growing suicide crisis for communities of color

This article is a response to the previous published ACDIS CDI Strategies news story titled “Pandemic unveils growing suicide crisis for communities of color.”

by Angelica Naylor, MBA, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCS

The news story published by ACDIS regarding the growing suicide rate for communities of color is an affirmation of the dire need for health literacy and awareness, access to healthcare, and understanding of the challenges for the Black, Hispanic, and Asian American communities. Cultural competence education and training should be standard as part of new hire orientation and annual competencies to understand the differences in family, culture, and medical--especially mental health--perceptions in these communities.

Many teenagers are struggling with self-identity and sexual identity. They may feel ashamed, embarrassed, or unaccepted in a world that still has a long way to go to become completely diverse and inclusive. With limited resources and for those with unsupportive family and friends, these teenagers have nowhere to turn. The end result is a feeling of worthlessness and feeling unwanted, which contributes to suicide and suicidal ideation. These feelings can be even further perpetuated in teenagers in communities of color where there are other contributing negative social factors.

For such a long time, minorities have been ignored or believed to have a higher tolerance for pain and other issues. According to the AAMC (2020), half of white medical trainees believe such myths as black people have thicker skin or less sensitive nerve endings than white people.

The pandemic has exacerbated and brought transparency to the issues plaguing minority communities. With the overwhelming number of COVID-19 deaths, devastating increase in job loss, and compounded stress with preexisting conditions, people are at the brink of breaking, with few resources or solutions. Related sources can be found here:

• Black workers face two of the most lethal preexisting conditions for coronavirus—racism and economic inequality
• Despite June’s positive jobs numbers, Black workers continue to face high unemployment
• Unemployment rose higher in three months of COVID-19 than it did in two years of the Great Recession

Though I have not researched the statistical data on access to mental healthcare during the pandemic, I can provide insight from personal experience. Finding therapy or counseling options were near impossible in 2020 and have not rebounded much in 2021. Using personal financial resources, employee assistance program (EAP) resources, and referrals, I reached out to several licensed therapists and counselors, only to be told that they had no openings for new patients, no longer accepted the EAP servicer, or the waiting list for even an initial consultation was two to six weeks long.

I am a healthcare professional with a high level of education and employment, and these were my limited options. I never attained therapy for myself or my family during 2020 due to the lack of availability, even when I was willing to pay out of pocket. Imagine the access and options for the underserved communities with limited education and resources.

While we may not have all the answers or solutions to resolve this growing issue, what we do have is empathy, introspection, and education. Empathize with others, all individuals, as no two people are the same and will not handle stress, illness, or death the same. Take time for introspection to determine if you have internal biases or teachings that inhibit you from empathizing with another individual or certain groups of people. Everyone should take time for cultural competence education and training. Even if your employer does not provide or sponsor the training, there are unlimited online resources.

I will leave with a situation of what not to do. When an employee or coworker experiences death of family and friends, do not expect them to respond as you think you would or as fellow employees have in the past. Do not say, “I’ve done it and I’m okay,” or “her sister is in the hospital, and she seems to be working through it well.”

Understand there is insensitivity in comparing two different people and expecting them to respond the same way. We all process loss, death, and grief differently. Family has various meanings across communities and cultures. For some people aunts, uncles, and grandparents fill the parental role. If someone comes to you and says their aunt died, their cousin has passed, or their friend is no longer with them, understand that you may not understand the meanings of these relationships for them. Their aunt or cousin may have raised them and acted as their parent Their friend may have lived in the same home from childhood and is like a biological sister. Remember this fact: we do not have the justification to measure someone else’s feelings or mental state from the impact of loss or illness.

Editor’s note: Naylor is the CDI consultant and manager at CorroHealth based in Plano, Texas. Contact her at angelica.naylor@outlook.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ACDIS, HCPro, or its subsidiaries.