Faith leaders discuss ways to stop suicides in Black community

INDIANAPOLIS — More that 400 Black Hoosiers have died by suicide since 2018 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some Black faith leaders are now making mental health a priority in their community.

The Soul Shop Movement introduced suicide prevention strategies to a group of Black faith leaders on Tuesday. The group travels nationwide in support of mental health and came to Indiana in association with the Family and Social Services Administration.

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Dr. Reginald Wells, a pastor from North Carolina, led the session.

"Some people have never said the word suicide," Wells said. "It is not something that should be shunned. It is something we need to really take a note of."

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Wells told the pastors in the room about his own experience with suicide.

"My great-nephew died by suicide," Wells said. "That's when I knew this was my life's calling, to really engage in this work."

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Indiana's Black suicide rate is rising based on the CDC's data. It reports 82 Black Hoosiers died by suicide in 2023, compared to 60 suicides in 2018.

"If churches can't do something about hope and social connections, then we have some real problems," said Soul Shop Movement executive director Michelle Snyder.

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Snyder said the session not only educated pastors on suicide prevention strategies, but also inspired them to open up about their negative thoughts.

"There were pastors in the room today who have said at different points in their life and in their ministry they thought about suicide," Snyder said. "Pastors have lost people to suicide. Pastors are worried about family members who are at risk for suicide."

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Wells hopes Indiana's pastors take what they learned to their congregations.

"It's having conversations around mental health and desperation that could lead to suicide," Wells said. "People are suffering. People have desperation. We want the church to embrace that."