School Disciplinary and Mental Health Practices and Suicide

Because Black youth are dying by suicide at an alarming rate, this study addresses the interplay of how two dimensions of inequality impact suicide: 1. school-based mental health services and referrals; and 2. aggressive school disciplinary practices. Mental health symptoms in Black individuals may be "masked" as aggression and misinterpreted by school professionals as behavioral problems, reinforcing harsh disciplinary practices disproportionate in Black youth. Improved understanding of how these two dimensions influence suicide will inform upstream approaches to suicide prevention delivered in school settings and contribute to a sizeable gap in the literature in support of preventing Black youth from dying of suicide. We will collect a disparate set of data sets to describe the prevalence of these issues and conduct analyses that explore the relationship between disciplinary actions and mental health access with suicide. We will also interview school-based professional and administrators to understand their roles and understandings