PURPOSE: In a sample of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), the current study was conducted with two aims: (1) to investigate the protective effects of educational attainment (i.e., completing college) on subsequent risk of suicide attempt/death among patients presenting to the ED and (2) to compare this effect between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White ED patients.

METHODS: The current study analyzed data from the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-Up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) study, a quasi-experimental, eight-center study of universal suicide screening and follow-up of ED patients presenting for suicidal ideation and behavior. Our sample included 937 non-Hispanic White and 211 non-Hispanic Blacks. The dependent variable was suicide attempt/death during the 52-week follow-up. The independent variable was completing college. Age, gender, lesbian/gay/bisexual status, psychiatric history, and previous suicide attempts at baseline were covariates. Race/ethnicity was the focal effect modifier. Logistic regression models were used to test the protective effects of educational attainment on suicide risk in the overall sample and by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS: In the overall sample, educational attainment was not associated with suicide risk over the follow-up period. A significant interaction was found between race/ethnicity and educational attainment on suicide risk, suggesting a larger protective effect for non-Hispanic Whites compared with non-Hispanic Blacks. In race/ethnicity-specific models, completing college was associated with decreased future suicide risk for non-Hispanic Whites but not Blacks.

CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the Minorities' Diminished Return theory, educational attainment better protected non-Hispanic White than non-Hispanic Blacks against future suicide attempt/death. While Whites who have not completed college may be at an increased risk of suicide, risk of suicide seems to be independent of educational attainment for non-Hispanic Blacks.