| Nationally published reports on death rates for substance abuse (drug-alcohol related), violence (homicide), and risky sexual behaviors (HIV/AIDS) among African-American men are deeply concerning. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between historical/ developmental factors (masculine identity, racial identity, racism), sociodemographic factors (income, education, employment status, marital status), psychological functioning (depression, post-traumatic stress, self-esteem, anger), and the impact that they have on passive suicide (substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and violence) in a sample of 150 (75 community; 75 incacerated) African-American males from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The purpose of this study was to examine the complex issues that may contribute to passive suicide and begin to understand and conceptualize at-risk behaviors as a form of suicide. All analyses were conducted using the Statistical Program for the Social Sciences [SPSS]. Descriptive analyses were performed on demographic characteristics including age, education, employment, marital status, and income as well as other demographic variables. Simultaneous multiple linear regressions were conducted to test the magnitude and strength of the relationship between historical/developmental factors, sociodemographic factors, psychological functioning and passive suicide. The results of the multiple regressions found that there were significant relationships between substance abuse and several of the independent variables (masculine identity, racial identity, racism, SES, and psychological factors) in the community population. However, the relationship between the independent variables and substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors and violence were not significant in the incarcerated population. The implications for the field of counseling psychology and future researchers are discussed in detail. |
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