Why are white people more depressed and suicidal than minorities?

Question

I'm not talking about specific cases, just that you don't hear about people in other races slashing their wrists and being emo in general. White people are the rich majority and have less to be depressed about.
So is it higher expectations in life or what?

Answer 1

Because they are ******* weak. They get everything handed to their well-fed asses, and got the ************* nerve to look down upon somebody of a different group. They don't know **** about pain or struggle. If a minority loses his/her job, we ******' deal with it and move on, but a white person loses their job or house, they kill their entire families or become serial killers.

I know somebody's gonna make some comment about minorities and crime rates. But you know what? I beat you to it. At least when minorities commit crimes, there's usually a logical reason behind it. For example - if you're broke, rob somebody who has money. If somebody's ******* with you and your family, defend yourself. Cops don't give a blue **** about minorities. Not saying it's right, but it makes sense. What could you possibly gain from drowning your kids in a bath tub then shooting yourself.

Answer 2

I can't answer the question scientifically, but when I was growing up in an upper middle class neighborhood, we had a suicide or an attempt on every nearby block. I know of five people who tried and three who completed. Additionally my grandma completed.

My impression was that this group of people did not have full lives. They did not have strong character. They did not judge success by "content of character" but by external things such as possessions.

I also noticed what some people said above which was that they did not have strong coping skills. Adverse events resulted in two suicides. They had high expectations that didn't include the possibility of adverse events.

People who work extra hard to make more money than others often value money above personal relationships. People with strong personal relationships are often happier.

I think there was a strong desire to believe that they were better than others because of their upper middle class status. They excluded quite a few people from their country clubs. Therefore, acknowledging their mental illness and seeking treatment would be difficult for this group.

Answer 3

There are several factors for this....
First, we aren't a minority, meaning we are the majority...larger numbers mean more possibilities for noticing things that are of smaller numbers in minorities.

Second, most minorities have very tight knit cultures that focus on family or society, grouping....people are not solitary creatures, we need each other, yet white people as a whole have little to no culture, especially one emphasizing a society, support, and generally just being there. Most white peope see the dream as working insane hours to pay for the car that you bought because you couldnt afford it but it makes you feel better for growing up poor or being beaten or sexualy abused as a kid. Or it's just about trying to make it yet feeling that you never can manage to get your head above water, the surface of the water always threatening to rush into your mouth and nose, taking you down.

Third, mental illness is hereditary. It is passed on from generation to generation just like sicke-cell anemia for black people. Some of the kids get it, some dont, some suffer from problems invoving it, some hardly notice it.

Last point, black people talk alot about how what happens to them goes unnoticed. Its true. There was a latino woman that went missing around the same time as Lacy Peterson, most everything was exactly the same, except that she was not white. The press never even spoke of her. White people are in the spotlight for some crazy reason. Certain white people only want to hear about what happens to others like them, certain people in minorities want to see bad things happen to white people, so it sells. Media reports what sells. I am waiting for the day that heart and soul sell, that will be an amazing day for us all.

Answer 4

"When we were shown the epidemiology of clinical depression, it was curious to note that rates were higher in homosexuals compared to, not only the general population, but even other minority groups." Well, other minorities don't have the exact same situation as LGBT right now, so that makes sense. "I mean, if I counsel a gay patient with MDD one day, how is telling him/her that it was likely to happen in the first place going to help at all?" That's an odd question, how would that help /any/ patient? Some may feel relieved that they aren't the only ones going through it (or might find that a completely negative thought), but that's probably it, regardless of if you're dealing with a gay/otherwise LGBT patient or not. "Why do you personally believe that MDD is so high in the homosexual community?" Well, the negative attitudes towards LGBT (not just gay people) are generally higher than other minorities, that can stress a person in all sorts of areas, such as worrying what others, family/friends and such, may think if they come out, or worrying about others if they appear with a partner. In some cases, it may be hard for them if someone they have to work with (a boss or coworker for example) has an openly negative attitude towards them over their sexuality. Bullying is also a big issue. There's also the rights issue, few places have complete equal rights, which when you get around to a lack of anti discrimination laws, or laws that make sure a public/government funded business can't refuse you as a customer or employee, can make it hard to live without being in the closet, that itself can cause stress on a person. When you get around to the marriage issue, that becomes a really personal thing, if an individual strongly wanted to marry and it's not possible to where they are. My suggestion is to ask some people you know on their attitudes towards LGBT, look up news articles related to LGBT, the laws regarding them in various places, and look up some coming out stories, just to get a better idea. That being all said, some have it as easy as people usually do, if they live in a very accepting area, or even just have accepting family and friends. Places with big a support for equal rights, law wise as well as socially, tend to do better. "And do you believe that over time as society becomes more accepting and there is less marginalization of homosexuals that rates of suicide will go down?" Of course. That being said, the social aspect isn't all there is to it, the laws in the place where the individual in question lives plays a part in it, and even social attitudes can reflect the state of the laws, but as with any group the rates will go down along with the negative attitudes. Edit: As much as Clone was being rude, she has somewhat of a point (one I brought up myself, somewhat), and your reply wasn't that nice either (not meant to be insulting, I just think it was a bit overblown. Then again I hang around the R&S section, I probably have an overblown idea of the word overblown). And the word girl didn't need quotes. "Also, the first question about telling the gay patient about the likelihood of MDD was a rhetorical question, you didn't have to answer it... But I find it kinda cute that you did anyway :D" Not sure if directed at me, or someone else. Either way, "cute"? >///> @Smile "Plus, the gays have chosen to reject that whole, 'perfect family life thing'. That's got to have an effect on the mind." No, not really. Apart from not having a hive mind, gay people can have that idea of a "perfect family life". It's not impossible, nor /that/ improbable.

Answer 5

I think it's just a simple fact that there are more of them. I mean in the US there are more white people than anything. That is why everyone else is a minority. So I believe that that is the case.

Answer 6

SPIN and SARAH COLLEEN have the best responces here.
"BAT's" response seems like that of a discriminatory racist wherin the question asked was merely a question about suicide rates among an ethnic group.

I was going to say the same things Colleen said.

YES, Whites are a majority of America (over 70% ) and their suicides tend to #1 MAKE NEWS MORE OFTEN and #2 tend to be more dramatic since their neighborhoods are more likely to draw attraction from news crews and emergency medical services FASTER than neighborhoods in the inner city and non-White suburbia.

There is no need to take a racist tone with this question or to say mean and derogatory things.

I was shocked to see that AsianAmerican Women are 7X more likely to die in domestic Abuse situations and highly likely to commit suicide during their teenage years - having the highest suicide rates from 15-25 years old.
I love Asian girls!- makes me feel bad.

Answer 7

Being white, and having been diagnosed with a number of neuroses (including Manic-Depression/Bipolar Disorder II, mild paranoia, anxiety, etc.), I feel confident in saying that it happens to more white people, because white people are more whiney about it. In truth, the same feelings and afflictions are happening equally to people of all races, but the white folk tend to try to milk it the most, and get the most attention out of it, but are also typically the most weak-willed and thus prone to succumbing to the pressure. The problem is that nobody is willing to stand up and take responsibility for their own actions, nobody wants to be accountable for anything and so they let themselves fall to these categories of neurosis/psychosis. Yes, this means that I'm talking about myself as well, but since having realized this some years ago I've struggled to improve.

Can't say that I'm any better, just more aware.

Answer 8

First of all,depression and suicide have nothing to do with financial issues.Just because money would make your day,doesnt mean that it would make everyone else happy with life.The reason suicides,murders and any other black issues are not publicised as much is because of a bias media.It has nothing to do with whats actually going on...try reading up on stuff before making ourself look like an as@ to the whole world with ignorant comments like this one!PLZZZ

Answer 9

1. Suicide is Preventable.
2. Caucasian men and women account for over 90% of all completed suicides.
3. Native Americans have the highest suicide rate among all 15-24 year olds.
4. Suicide rates from 1980-1995 increased 214% for 15-24 year old African American males and 93% for African American females.
5. 15-19 year old African American males' suicide rates have increased 80% between 1980 and 2000.
6. Although Caucasians are twice as likely to commit suicide than African Americans, the rate of suicide is growing faster among young African Americans than among Caucasians.
7. Asian American women have the highest suicide rates among women ages 15 to 24.
8. From 1979-1992 suicide rates for Native Americans were about 1.5 times the overall national rates.
9. While males have higher suicide rates than females in all ethnic groups, the patterns differ by age groups. Suicide risks peak in the 15-24 age group for Native Americans and African-Americans, whereas for European-American Non-Hispanics, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders the highest suicide rates occur in those over 65 years of age.

Doesn't explain why, just wanted to point out that the rates are changing drastically.

Answer 10

A. minorities have tougher skin because they have had such a hard life and have generations of hard lives behind them B. the media cares about white people the media is controlled by white people who want to hear stories about other white people

Answer 11

Maybe if you spent time with minorities you would find that their parents raised them to be a LOT tougher and a lot more street smart. White people are raised to be nervous, paranoid, and anxious. We treat our kids like babies even when they're in 2nd and third grade. We don't think about the future for them. Only the present. Obviously, minorities know how to raise their children tougher. Which is better, because why treat them like babies, if ultimately they may commit suicide?
PS> Harry 1 summed it all up. I give him 6 stars.