Citation

Feigelman W, Ploderl M, Rosen Z, Cerel J. Crisis 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000626

PMID

31657644

Abstract

Background: Past studies have repeatedly shown higher suicidal thoughts and attempts among sexual minority members, yet have remained opaque on whether these groups are more prone to taking their own lives. Aims: This short report focuses on suicide deaths among sexual minority members.

Method: We utilized two large-scale surveys: one, among adults, the updated Cumulative General Social Surveys, and the other, among adolescents, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), where respondents' data were cross-linked to National Death Index death records.

Results: Results confirmed pre-existent findings showing elevated suicide rates among sexual minority females but not among sexual minority males.

Limitations: The shortfall of female adolescent suicides in the Add Health sample prevented us from examining the question of female sexual minority suicides within this population.

Conclusion: Although ample evidence demonstrates higher suicidal thoughts and attempts among sexual minority males, three studies presently do not confirm their greater propensity to die by suicide, compared with heterosexual males; yet, for sexual minority females the evidence is steadily mounting showing their greater suicide risks.

Keywords: sexual minority members, suicide, gay/lesbian/bisexual suicides
William Feigelman, Sociology Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, USA, william.feigelman@ncc.edu

Language: en

Keywords

gay/lesbian/bisexual suicides; sexual minority members; suicide