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Police killings and suicide among Black Americans

Bibliographic Data

ID4599331
AuthorsIlias Kyriopoulos (0000-0002-3932-8228, London School of Economics and Political Science), Sotiris Vandoro (0000-0002-9458-4988, King's College London, corresponding author), Ichiro Kawachi (0000-0003-3579-4456, Harvard University)
Year2022
Volume305
Pages114964
Publication date2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114964
PMID35660700
OpenAlexW4226450952
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited47

Black Americans are killed at higher rates by police than whites. Previous studies have shown that discrimination can lead to suicidal ideation, and that mental health of Black Americans deteriorates after police killings. The objective of this study is to examine whether police killings are associated with an increase in suicide rates amongst Black Americans. Controlling for a number of factors, we found that on months with at least one killing of a Black person by police, there were, on average, 0.0472 additional suicides per 100,000 Black Americans in the U.S. Census Division where the killing occurred. We did not find any spillover effects on other divisions. This association persisted when controlling for gun ownership, and did not seem to be a result of variance in deaths by assault. There was no association between killings of Black Americans and white suicides; white killings and Black suicides; or white killings and white suicides. This study highlights another reason for urgent action on reducing police killings

Criminology · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Psychiatry · Sociology · Suicidal ideation · Suicide prevention · White (mutation · Demography · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

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Unique citing works12
Citations per year3
Citation span2022 - 2026 (5)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 11
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