Suicide Rates for Young Black Men Are Rising

Editor’s note: Mental health resources provided by the National Institute of Mental Health can be found at the bottom of this page.

Suicide rates among young Black men in America are rising at an alarming pace. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the first time since the U.S. government began collecting the data, young Black men are dying by suicide at a higher rate than young white men. Mental health professional Brandon Jones works with young Black men, and Jones explained that the numbers are the result of unresolved, collective pain now impacting a generation that is confronting that pain for the first time. 

“We’ve had these key political situations and social pushes that have affected us as a collective,” he said. “Young Black people are feeling a trauma response that is leading to people wondering, ‘Do I want to keep living in a world that is treating me [poorly] in this situation?’”

Jones added that awareness of mental health has grown significantly, but the tools to respond to that awareness have not kept pace: “There’s awareness that is heightened, but there’s a lack of what the proper responses are.”

According to the CDC, Black Americans have seen their overall suicide death rate climb 53% between 2014 and 2024, more than 10 times faster than white people and twice as high as Latinos and Native Americans. 

More than one in four Black men who died by suicide in 2024 lived in Georgia, Texas, or Florida, but the highest death rates are concentrated in smaller states with sparser Black populations. The highest rates were found in places like Utah, Kansas, Colorado and Oregon, where culturally competent mental health care is often hardest to find. Black men are now more than four times more likely to die by suicide than Black women, according to the new data. 

Pennsylvania’s Human Rights Coalition member B.P. Lyles has spent years working with incarcerated Black men, and he described a pattern of men forced into silence under the weight of trauma — much like war veterans. “The lack of identity, the lack of belonging, the lack of knowing that people matter — it damages the psyche,” he said. 

“People are forced into silence,” he said. “And that has to be broken.”

Where can I get immediate help?

In life-threatening situations, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Call or text 988 or start a chat online to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

How can I find a health care provider or treatment?

Treatment for mental illnesses usually includes therapy (virtual or in person), medication, or a combination of the two.

There are many ways to find a provider who will meet your needs.

Primary care provider: A primary care provider can perform an initial mental health screening and refer you to a mental health professional (such as a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist). If you have an appointment with a primary care provider, consider bringing up your mental health concerns and asking for help.

Federal resources: Some federal agencies offer resources for identifying mental health professionals. These include:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline and online locator for mental health services 

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) online tool for finding Medicare providers 

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) online tool for finding VA locations and providers 

National organizations: Many advocacy and professional organizations have online tools for finding a provider. View a list of organizations that offer directories or locators for finding mental health professionals.

More info can be found, including the above resources, at the National Institute of Mental Health.