Suicide is on the rise in the United States and experts say that growing inequality is part of the reason. The gap between the rich and poor continues to increase—with unemployment and underemployment forcing more people to work multiple jobs as certain industries decline, leading to worker layoffs. Researchers have made a correlation between these factors and the increase in opioid addiction and drug overdoses around the country. According to Ian Rockett, a retired professor who has studied self-injury at West Virginia University, some of these accidental overdoses are likely suicides that have been classified as accidents. In his work with survivors of drug overdoses, Rockett has discovered that many of them were considering suicide at the time. He is an advocate for improving treatment for drug addiction but also believes that long-term efforts need to focus on addressing inequality. This offers yet another compelling reason to address inequality in America. In addition to the devastating impact things like poverty and overall inequality have on children, individuals and families, it is literally causing death—as people become so desperate that they take their own lives.  Unfortunately, studies like these often center on the impact of poverty, drugs and inequality in rural, white communities. That, of course, is important. But we must have a holistic approach to addressing inequality. While experts focus their time and attention to what’s happening with poor white people, we cannot afford to ignore the other places and communities where this is occurring. As an old saying goes, “when white America catches a cold, black America gets pneumonia.” This is true when it comes to poverty and inequality. And it’s also true for the increase in suicide rates across the country.  In May, The Washington Post reported that suicide rates for black children are now twice that of white children. This is based on data collected from 2001-2015. The increasing rate of suicide, regardless of age, is alarming. But it is positively frightening to realize that this data is for black children between the ages of 5 and 12. Though it is rare for young kids, suicide is a leading cause for older children and adolescents. If this is happening among young black children, we should most certainly be worried about older black children and adults. Yet, we know very little about the racial disparities in suicide because so much of the data has focused on whites. Historically, rates of suicide have been higher within the white population. But something has changed.  Jeffrey Bridge, director of the Center for Suicide Prevention at the National Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio said this about addressing suicide among black youth:  “We can’t assume any longer that suicide rates are uniformly higher in white individuals than black. [...] “There is this age-related disparity, and now we have to understand the underlying reasons. … Most of the previous research has largely concerned white suicide. So we don’t even know if the same risk and protective factors apply to black youth.” Read more