African American Adolescent Suicide: Anger, Religious Coping Style, and Suicidal Behavior
Open AccessAbstract The current study investigated whether trait anger was a risk factor for suicidal behavior among African American adolescents and looked at whether religious coping style protected them from suicidal behavior in the context of relatively high levels of trait anger. Participants were 212 African American high school students (133 females, 79 males). The results of regression and logistic regression analyses found that trait anger was a risk factor for suicidal behavior; however, mediation analyses revealed that depression accounted for the relationship between trait anger and suicidal behavior. Results also indicated that, in the context of relatively high levels of anger, having a collaborative religious coping style did not serve as a protective factor against suicidal behavior. Self-directed religious coping style was associated with increased suicide attempts and fewer reasons for living; collaborative religious coping style was related to increased reasons for living. Gender differences were found in religious coping styles, suicide ideation and reasons for living. Results suggest that suicide intervention programs may want to be aware of cultural differences in the expression of anger, particularly increased anger as an indicator of depression in African American youth. In addition, the current study suggests that when creating suicide intervention and prevention programs, it may be important to consider contextual factors when promoting religious coping style among African American adolescents.
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