Citation

Roen K, McDermott E, Scourfield J. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 51.

Affiliation

Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, Bowland Tower East, LA1 4YT Lancaster, UK. (k.roen@lancaster.ac.uk)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963928

Abstract

While a growing body of U.S. research provides evidence of the increased vulnerability of sexual minority youth to suicide, substantially less research of this phenomenon has been undertaken in European contexts. The present paper reports on research carried out in England and Wales to identify how suicidality among marginalised youth is influenced by: (i) young people's beliefs about life-threatening behaviour and (ii) young people's experiences of sexuality and gender identity. This research used qualitative methods to systematically investigate youth suicide and the specific vulnerability of youth for whom issues of sexuality and gender identity present particular life challenges. Focus groups and interviews were carried out with a total of 80 young adults. The paper raises principal issues that emerged from discourse analytic work with the data. Conclusions from this research are discussed in relation to suicidology literature concerning risk and vulnerability.

Language: en