Racial Identity Profiles and Indicators of Well-Being in Suicidal African American Women

African American women have been protected against death by suicide, and it is important to determine factors that protect against suicide in this population. Racial identity, which shapes African Americans’ self-concept, may cultivate facets of well-being among African American women. We investigated the relations among racial identity profiles and well-being, namely reasons for living, existential well-being, and suicide resilience, among 198 African American women with a recent suicide attempt. Using latent profile analysis, we found that racial identity profiles characterized by higher racial group identification and more positive feelings about being African American were associated with greater reasons for living, existential well-being, and suicide resilience. Ideas for culturally responsive interventions are proposed.