Real-time assessments of suicidality among Black men: a mixed methods approach

The need for more robust evidence to predict risk and prevent suicide among Black men is critical in light of the rising rates of suicidality in this population. In the past decade, the rates of suicide death among Black men increased by 25.3%, signaling an emerging public health crisis. Yet, there is a fundamental gap in suicide research focused on Black male populations due to limited investigations of race-related (e.g. discrimination) stress as a potentially unique risk factor. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods using smartphones may help bridge our understanding of Black men’s suicidality by assessing time-varying risk factors as they naturally occur. Thus, the goal of this proposed project is to meaningfully integrate digital health strategies using a mixed methods approach to better identify suicide risk heterogeneity among Black men. Specifically, the applicant plans to address the following specific aims: (1) Qualitatively assess proximal, momentary suicide risk factors among Black men, (2) Adapt an existing EMA smartphone application to assess Black men’s suicidality; and (3) Determine feasibility and acceptability of EMA data collection project to identify risk of suicidal ideation among Black men. The proposed AFSP Young Innovator’s Award project enhances the applicants’ prior research in Black men’s mental health disparities and health services research, with an innovative application in digital health technologies to address the critical suicide crises. This training will uniquely position the applicant to enhance risk prediction models using mobile technology with an emphasis on race-salient risk factors and their associations with suicidality. To achieve these research objectives, the applicant will work with a highly skilled mentorship and consultant team (Drs. Sean Joe, Benjamin Lê Cook, and Todd Reid) to build on three areas of expertise relevant to this research agenda: (1) intensive longitudinal design and analysis, (2) Black men’s suicide risk and prevention research, and (3) mixed methods analysis. Results of the proposed research will enhance current understanding of heterogeneous risk in Black male populations and temporal risk factors that place them at enhanced risk of suicidal behavior