Suicide numbers in the Black community rising at an alarming rate Pandemic causes rise in mental health issues By Perry Robinson | April 24, 2021 at 2:15 AM CDT - Updated April 24 at 2:27 AM BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Since the pandemic started, mental health experts have worried that the emotional and mental stress created by COVID would lead to a rise in suicides. It’s a trend suicide prevention advocate Tonja Myles has kept a close eye on, especially in the black community. “This is personal to me. I’m a two-time suicide survivor and I’ve been in recovery for over 32 years,” said Myles.