Onyx Healing Institute

Addressing suicide in black and brown communities through research, education, and culturally responsive programs.

Bringing Awareness and Resources to Barbershops to Empower Resilience, Support Health, Overcome Stigma and Prevent Suicide

Culturally responsive research and education for black and brown communities.

The goal of this research is to develop and evaluate the efficacy of BARBER SHOP (Bringing Awareness and Resources to Barbershops to Empower Resilience, Support Health Overcome stigma, and Prevent suicide), a community-based suicide prevention program tailored for Black children and adults that utilizes barbershops as the intervention site. Black individuals in the United States experience a disproportionately high rate of suicide (CDC, 2022), yet face multiple barriers to accessing traditional mental health services. Lindsey et al. (2019) found that individuals in the Black community are less likely to seek professional help for mental health concerns due to stigma, mistrust of the healthcare system, and a lack of culturally relevant services.

Barbershops hold a central role in many Black communities, serving as important social hubs where people gather, converse, and build trust (Brawner et al., 2019). Barbers are trusted and recognize the important dependability they possess (Carlton et al., 2021). The barber chair is also a safe and brave space where black men often confess their deepest secrets and darkest trauma. Barbers are considered a source of support for Black populations and remove the stigma of receiving mental health support (Gelzhiser & Lewis, 2023). Furthermore, barbers and barbershops are places for psychological assistance and suicide prevention (Gelzhiser & Lewis, 2023). The incorporation of suicide prevention services within barbershop settings requires the preceding introduction of physical health awareness and activities into these spaces.

Suicide interventions have not been fully developed or tested in Black communities, and there is a need for culturally appropriate interventions. BARBER SHOP is an evidence-informed intervention that provides culturally relevant mental health and suicide prevention psychoeducation, lethal means prevention, suicide risk assessment, and referrals. We will incorporate CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means), distribute gun locks, utilize the AS Suicide-Screening Questions, and provide referrals for culturally inclusive referrals.

Aim 1: To design and implement the BARBER SHOP program.

Tasks: (1) To design program components, materials, and processes for implementation in the barbershop setting. (2) To create a community collaborative board (CCB) with barbers and community members. (3) To gather feedback from the CCB for the implementation of the intervention. (4) To identify the zip code(s) for inviting barbershops for participation and invite them to participate in the intervention. (5) To implement the intervention and refine processes.

Aim 2: Evaluate the BARBER SHOP intervention.

Tasks: (1) Assess the number of suicide deaths among Black individuals in the zip code over time using the NC Violent Death Reporting System. (2) Collect data on the number of gunlocks distributed, the number of CALM barbers and community members trained, the number of community members receiving CALM, the number of suicide screenings, and the number of individuals referred for suicide-prevention services. (3) Assess secondary outcomes of client satisfaction, cultural humility, engagement, and access.