Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Do Not Increase Suicide: Correcting a False Research Narrative

Sullins, D. Paul

doi:10.1007/s10508-022-02408-2

Cited by 16 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…For example, it may be that individuals who are most distressed about their sexual orientation are most likely to engage in SOCE and then, in doing so, many become disillusioned with their SOCE and feel better about themselves for ending such efforts (Beckstead & Morrow, 2004). Alternatively, it may be that some individuals who persist with SOCE have more distress prior to SOCE than those who ended their change efforts and continue in SOCE because they still find benefit in it, regardless of any experience of change (Sullins, 2022). Future work is needed to examine these possibilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This has been attributed to the beneficial strategies that can be employed within SOCE, such as receiving support, meeting similar others, and/or addressing trauma (Bradshaw et al, 2015; Karten & Wade, 2010). However, a recent reanalysis of Blosnich et al suggested the failure to control for pre-SOCE suicidality may also be a factor (Sullins, 2022), leading to a healthy debate about whether or not any methodological limitations of the literature are overshadowed by ethical concerns and putative human rights violations associated with SOCE (Rosik, 2022; Strizzi & Di Nucci, 2022). In addition, Rivera and Beach (2022) have criticized Sullins’ reanalysis as biased and significantly flawed.…”

Section: Soce and Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…their change efforts and continue in SOCE because they still find benefit in it, regardless of any experience of change (Sullins, 2022). Future work is needed to examine these possibilities.…”

Section: R E T R a C T E Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Sexual orientation change efforts: Health associations, sexual identity labeling, and reports of change by engagement status.

Rosik¹,

Beckstead²,

Lefevor³

2023

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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We analyzed a socio-politically diverse sample (N = 1,412) of cisgender adults who reported experiencing or having experienced same-sex attractions to compare the degree of depression and flourishing between three statuses of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE): No SOCE (n = 329), Ongoing SOCE (n = 326), and Ended SOCE (n = 757). ANCOVA results controlling for age indicated that the participants with Ongoing SOCE reported greater depression and less flourishing than participants in either the group with No SOCE or who had Ended SOCE, who had similar health outcomes, with small effect sizes. However, consideration of scale norms and structure suggested these group differences may not be interpretively meaningful. Chi-square analysis with medium effect size indicated that participants rejecting an LGBQ+ identity were disproportionately found in the group with Ongoing SOCE while over 60% of LGBQ+-identified participants reported having ended their SOCE. Overall, 11%–21% (88–159/757) of participants reported either always having or developing enough other-sex sexual attraction to enjoy other-sex sexual behavior. Nineteen participants who did not pursue SOCE also reported this change. Duration of SOCE was not associated with health outcomes and the number of years elapsed following SOCE was not correlated with health outcomes after controlling for age. Finally, we did not find evidence that the age of onset of SOCE (as a minor or an adult) was related to participant reports of depression or flourishing. We conclude by discussing possible reasons for why these findings are somewhat counter to established narratives.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Soce and Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sexual orientation change efforts: Health associations, sexual identity labeling, and reports of change by engagement status.

Rosik¹,

Beckstead²,

Lefevor³

2023

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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“…There are indeed several studies that feature an apparent association between having experienced SOCE and mental health concerns (Haldeman, 2022a). However, in a reanalysis of Blosnich et al (2020), one of those studies reporting such an association (and with a nationally representative sample), Sullins (2021) took into account the pre-"SOCE" distress levels of the study subjects. While the effect of controlling for pre-SOCE suicidality was larger for adults than for minors, Sullins reported that after controlling for pre-existing conditions, there no longer remained any positive associations of SOCE with suicidality.…”

Section: Soce and Risks Of Harmmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of The “2021 Apa [American Psychological Association] Resolution on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts.”

Phelan¹,

Schumm²,

Rosik³

2022

IJAHSS

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We examined the “APA [American Psychological Association] RESOLUTION on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” (APA, 2021) and while doing so have noted several problems. The APA (2021) resolution report is largely flawed in terms of theory, logic, and science. It relies almost exclusively on sexual minority theory when many other theories might be useful. It relies upon seriously flawed logic, treating SOCE as unchanged and unimproved over the past six decades. In addition, it relies upon very weak and limited science, overlooking recent reports on SOCE outcomes, not considering effect sizes for SOCE treatments, treating correlational results as causal, and often overlooking ways of testing more complex models of SOCE. The same limitations apply to much of the material reported in APA’s book edited by Haldeman (2022a), therefore not deserving a separate review. As such, we concluded that readers of the APA (2021) resolution report or Haldeman (2022a) for that matter, would walk away with unequivocal, one-sided, and misguided information about the topic of SOCE and therefore a condensed fact-checked critical analysis is presented.

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“…Both Blosnich et al (2020) and Sullins (2022) used the same Generations dataset (information about the study's methodology and rationale is available online at http://www. generations-study.com).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Correcting a False Research Narrative: A Commentary on Sullins (2022)

et al. 2023

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Sullins' (2022) report about the relationship of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and suicidality among sexual minority persons suffers from a fatal flaw that renders the conclusions of the paper invalid. In Blosnich et al. (2020), we demonstrated that SOCE was associated with higher life-time prevalence of suicide ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempt with no/minor injury. Sullins critiqued our research because we did not consider the temporal order of SOCE and suicidality, something we clearly discussed in our paper. Sullins used the same Generations data to suggest a different outcome by attempting to create the temporal order of SOCE and suicidality. However, the same limitations that prevented us from assessing temporal order also undermined his findings: no data in the Generations study are available to assess the timing of SOCE initiation, so there is no way to establish temporal order. The only difference between Sullins' and our analysis is that Sullins ignored this significant limitation and proceeded to conclude not only that SOCE was not associated with suicidality but that it was protective. Sullins claimed to correct a "false research narrative" in Blosnich et al. (2020). However, the false narrative that requires correction is Sullins' own conclusions based on misplaced certainty in his faulty methods.

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Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Do Not Increase Suicide: Correcting a False Research Narrative

Cited by 16 publications

References 67 publications

Sexual orientation change efforts: Health associations, sexual identity labeling, and reports of change by engagement status.

Sexual orientation change efforts: Health associations, sexual identity labeling, and reports of change by engagement status.

A Critical Review of The “2021 Apa [American Psychological Association] Resolution on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts.”

Correcting a False Research Narrative: A Commentary on Sullins (2022)

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