Editorial: Black Adolescent Suicide in America: Insights From a Large Epidemiological Study

Abstract

As we sat down to review Sheftall et al.,¹ we came across a chilling report in the venerable New York Times: "US suicides declined overall in 2020 but may have risen among people of color." The synchronicity would have been noteworthy, had the 2 reports not been so tragic. The pathos of the newspaper story was how painfully familiar it was, how heartbreakingly unsurprising, how sadly it rang true. This issue of the Journal includes the largest epidemiological study on Black adolescent suicide published to date. The article by Sheftall et al.¹ provides reliable, granular, and actionable information about this major public health challenge.