Psychosocial Factors Associated With Suicide Attempts, Ideation, and Future Risk in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth

Abstract

A wide range of LGB stigma and discrimination experiences are associated with increased suicidality in LGB youth. Health, social care, and education professionals supporting young people should address LGB-specific risk factors.

General and LGBTQ-specific factors associated with mental health and suicide risk among LGBTQ students

“…LGBTQ stigma was not significantly associated with any of the outcomes. This contrasts to findings by Rimes et al (2018) that teachers and students not speaking up against stigma at schools (up to the age of 18 years) was associated with suicidal ideation in young adults.…”

Prevalence of self-harm among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents: a comparison of personal and social adversity with a heterosexual sample in Ghana

“…A recent study on vigilantism in Ghana reports that some individuals have been labelled homosexual and assaulted by community members, because those individuals exhibited (sexual) behaviours that were considered stereotypically opposite to their sex [32]. This environment of criminality, social hostility, stigma, tension and strong heteronormativity, as found also in high-income countries [33,34], gives rise to increased vulnerability of persons identifying as sexual and gender minorities to negative health outcomes and risky health behaviours including alcohol and substance use and abuse, self-harm, and suicide [35][36][37][38].…”

“…While homosexual related legislation does not necessarily lead to reductions in self-harm and suicide in members of sexual or gender minorities [40], it is now well documented that pro-homosexual legislation, together with acceptances by others, supportive family and public attitudes and secure environment, have the potential of leading to positive health outcomes in persons identifying as sexual or gender minority [36,[41][42][43]. The evidence of this study underscores the need for families, school staff, social and healthcare professionals to show positive attitudes and be supportive of LGBT adolescents, thereby creating a secure environment to reduce vulnerabilities and risks to self-harm.…”

Fourteen Recommendations to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Academic Biology

“…I don't think she knows that I'm lesbian, I don't know that she needs to know or not, but just knowing that she welcomes us, it makes it better for me to go into her office hours.-Lesbian undergraduate student Silence about LGBTQ+ issues may be interpreted as nonsupport. Because this community has been historically, and in many instances currently, discriminated against and stigmatized, there is often concern about revealing one's LGBTQ+ identity (Gershman, 1983;Puckett et al, 2015;Rimes et al, 2018). Further, some LGBTQ+ individuals harbor feelings of isolation and lack of belonging among straight and cisgender individuals (Sausa, 2005;Asakura and Craig, 2014;Pakula et al, 2016;Reisner et al, 2016;Testa et al, 2017).…”