Mortality from Suicide and Homicide for African Americans in the USA: A Regional Analysis

Abstract

The social correlates of the African American statewide suicide rates were found to be different from the correlates of Caucasian suicide rates. Caucasian suicide rates were higher in the south and west; African American suicide rates were higher in the north. Caucasian suicide rates were associated with indices of social disintegration, while African American suicide rates were not. The homicide rates of Caucasians and African Americans, in contrast, showed similar patterns of associations with social variables, particularly those related to southernness.