An Exploration of Black/White Biracialism and Suicidal Ideation

Davis, Lauryn

An Exploration of Black/White Biracialism and Suicidal Ideation

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/54801

Author(s)

Davis, Lauryn

Date Issued

April 18, 2022

Abstract

Black/White Biracial individuals in the United States are stained by a bloody history of both master and slave. This study works to explore the relationship between Black/White Biracial identities and suicidal ideation, responding to the question: how do American Biracial individuals experience suicidal ideation in the context of their racial identity? Participants were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants had to have one parent who is Black and one who is White. Participants were given three surveys to measure suicidal ideation, Black/White Biracial identity, and racial socialization. Participants also responded to one qualitative question: How did your parents talk to you about race? There were two hypotheses for the present study: (1) Black/White Biracial individuals who experience the world through a Monoracial lens will be at a higher risk for suicidal ideation, (2) Black/White Biracial individuals who experienced less racial socialization according to the total global racial socialization score will also be at a higher risk for suicidal ideation. Hypothesis (1) was unable to be tested and results did not support hypothesis (2). A thematic analysis was conducted for the qualitative question where 5 themes were derived: Silence about race, Warnings about racial inequalities, Colorblind approaches, Mistrust in Black or White communities, and Pride in being a person of color. Although there were no significant findings, this study should be viewed as the stepping stone for future research in Black/White Biracial communities.

Major

Psychology

Honors

Psychology, 2022

First Reader(s)

Stanger, Sarah B.