Fern Shen

About the author: Fern Shen is a staff writer for the Washington Post.

The suicide rates for African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino males is increasing dramatically compared to those of white males and females of all races. Researchers have yet to determine the cause for the rise. One theory holds that as minorities become absorbed into mainstream culture, they lose many of the family, religious, and cultural ties that may protect them against suicide. Others maintain that the increase in suicide rates is due to the social ills that disproportionately affect minorities, such as substance abuse and poverty. Public health officials need to concentrate on developing suicide prevention programs that are directed toward minority teen males.

Soaring suicide among America's young people set off alarms across the country in...