Citation

Smith BC, Armelie AP, Boarts JM, Delahanty DL, Brazil M. Arch. Suicide Res. 2016; 20(1): 80-93.

Affiliation

d AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland , Cleveland , OH , United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13811118.2015.1004484

PMID

26756389

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Youths who are lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) are more likely than heterosexuals to commit suicide. Substance use, PTSD, and depression are independent risk factors for suicidality; however, the extent to which these factors interact to predict suicidality is unclear. The current study examined the association between substance use, PTSD symptoms (PTSS), depressive symptoms, and suicidality in a sample of 68 traumatized minority LGB youths.

METHOD: Participants were recruited from an LGBT community center and completed a packet of questionnaires.

RESULTS: Substance use and depressive symptoms were positively associated with prior suicide attempts. A significant three-way interaction revealed that substance use interacted with both PTSS and depressive symptoms to increase the odds of attempted suicide.

CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore the importance of integrating substance use components into PTSD/depression treatment to reduce suicide risk in LGB youth.

Language: en