Police stops and suicide risk in Black youth
Hyper-surveillance and suicides among Black youth in the U.S.
This project looks at whether frequent or intrusive police stops are linked to more emergency visits and suicide deaths among Black adolescents and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140985 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're a Black teen or young adult, this research looks at whether contact with police relates to emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts or self-harm and to suicide deaths. Researchers will combine county-level police stop data with emergency department records and death records from 2006–2019 across 10 U.S. states. They will compare areas with higher versus lower levels of police stops while accounting for local factors like demographics and health resources. The aim is to see if intensive law enforcement contact is tied to worse suicide-related outcomes for youth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The focus is on Black adolescents and young adults living in the 10 study states (AZ, FL, KS, MA, MN, NC, NJ, NY, SC, WI), particularly those with histories of police stops or emergency visits for suicidal thoughts or self-harm.
Not a fit: People who live outside the included states, older adults, or those with no police contact are unlikely to be directly affected by this specific project's findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If a link is found, results could inform policies and local practices that reduce harmful police contact and help lower suicide risk among Black youth.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked police contact to higher anxiety, depression, and distress among youth, but large multi-state analyses directly connecting police stops to emergency suicidal behavior and suicide deaths are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singh, Parvati — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Singh, Parvati
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.