The crisis of suicide among Black youth and emerging adults has intensified in recent years, yet suicide prevention science has rarely examined how risk and protective processes may operate uniquely within this population. Dr. Jasmin Brooks Stephens’ research program aims to reimagine suicide prevention by integrating the study of sociocultural risk with strengths-based pathways to psychological well-being.
In this talk, Dr. Brooks Stephens presents empirical findings demonstrating how racism-related stress, racial trauma, and other sociocultural pressures contribute to vulnerability to suicidal ideation and behavior among Black youth.
She highlights protective processes that buffer suicide risk and promote positive mental health outcomes within this population. She introduces the Black Youth Thriving Framework for Suicide Prevention, a strengths-based conceptual model that shifts the field beyond crisis-oriented intervention toward the proactive cultivation of developmental assets that support resilience and thriving. Finally, she outlines future directions for her research, including the advancement of upstream, community-engaged prevention science that centers youth voice, integrates mixed-methods methodologies, and translates empirical findings into sustainable systems of care designed not only to prevent suicide, but to promote flourishing among Black youth.