Are gay and lesbian youth at high risk for suicide?
With regard to completed suicide, there are no national statistics for suicide rates among gay, lesbian or bisexual (GLB) persons. Sexual orientation is not a question on the death certificate, and to determine whether rates are higher for GLB persons, we would need to know the proportion of the U.S. population that considers themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual. Sexual orientation is a personal characteristic that people can, and often do choose to hide, so that in psychological autopsy studies of suicide victims where risk factors are examined, it is difficult to know for certain the victim?s sexual orientation. This is particularly a problem when considering GLB youth who may be less certain of their sexual orientation and less open. In the few studies examining risk factors for suicide where sexual orientation was assessed, the risk for gay or lesbian persons did not appear any greater than among heterosexuals, once mental and substance abuse disorders were taken into account. With
Research studies vary greatly in their estimates of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth who die by suicide. Recent analyses of research indicate that adolescents who report same-sex attractions or relationships are at 2 to 3 times the risk for suicide attempts. However, like the overwhelming majority of all youth, most GLBTQ youth report no suicidality at all. The risk factors of discrimination, victimization, bullying etc., put all youth at risk. These risk factors are important to address in suicide prevention.
