Why are some racial demographic groups more likely to commit suicide?

@Charles: “One reason that comes to mind is black females often have children – something that may deter them from suicide.”

Sweet jesus. I’m all for asking controversial questions and the occasion stirring of the pot. But are you even reading what you are typing? This statement has so many things wrong with it, I don’t even know where to start.

EDIT: Before I get modded for a non-helpful answer, let me attempt to answer this by asking the following questions…
– So, “black females” often have children? I’d love to see the stats on this for starters.
– Having children is a suicide deterrent? I’d love to see the data here.
– How does this possibly explain the suicide data you have presented? Black males have suicide rates that are less than half that of white males, for example.

Fluther really needs an ignore function.

I’m sorry Charles, but your questions consistently offend me/insult my intelligence.

What is a “white male” exactly? Isn’t that a bit broad of a spectrum to call it one group? When will society stop trying to classify people by race?

Also, your comment about black females is well… ignorant.

Because Whites are inferior and mentally defective and weak.
Non White people are therefore superior races. You must bow down before their feet, lest you be laid low and made unto dust.

I would bet there are studies about this, so scientists probably are interested, even though the first four answers are very dismissive. I mean just that someone is gathering those statistics means someone is researching it, or finds it statistically significant. If we understand the stats and why, it might help us better know what causes suicide and how to prevent it.

I would guess there are cultural reasons for these things, I don’t know what they are. Might be religion? Minority groups in America tend to be more religious I think.

Might have to do with income level too? Maybe there are more suicides among those with white collar pressures? I’m just guessing.

I do think children are a deterent to suicide, but I would think white and black and other women both have at least one child at the same rates? I don’t know for sure though.

Could be something in the genes? There was a high amount of mental illness in Ashkenazi Jews when they first came to America, I am not sure about subsequent generations. My grandfather and his sibs, two were paranoid schizophrenic, one I don’t know the specific diagnosis, but she was hospitalized practically her entire adult life, and one brother committed suicide (but it was after his teenage sun had been shot to death). They all went through horrific circumstances as children, and difficult adult lives. Not one of their children or grandchildren have such extreme diagnosis. Plus, schizophrenia usually does not lead to suicide, depression does.

Hmm… I don’t understand the hate and discontent here. It seems to be a valid question. Those are gross differences with obvious gender and race differences. Given those disparities, I’m sure there must be studies on the topic.

Googling “effects of gender and race on suicide” turns up 15.2 million hits. I haven’t time to go through them all today, though…

Like some others have written, there are studies on this. If you’re asking for what we jellies think are reasons off the tops of our heads, here’s mine:

Being “non white”, I assume white males have an enormous amount of pressure on them to be the par of success. I will tell you I have more than once scolded my own husband for feeling sorry for himself now and then my reminding him he’s a white male, top of the food chain in the USA and free of social or cultural hindrances… other than the pressure to do well by default.