Citation

Ramchand R, Schuler MS, Ayer L, Colpe L, Schoenbaum M. Psychiatr. Serv. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.20220132

PMID

35895841

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study estimated mental health service use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in the United States who reported having made a suicide attempt.

METHODS: Data came from the pooled 2015-2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Of the 191,954 adult respondents, 1,946 reported a past-year suicide attempt. Survey-weighted descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to compare mental health service use among LGB and heterosexual adults.

RESULTS: Three percent of LGB adults (N=598) reported having attempted suicide in the past year, compared with 0.5% of heterosexual adults (N=1,348). Mental health treatment use was significantly higher among LGB adults than among heterosexual adults (64% versus 56%) before analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS: Because suicide attempts and mental health use are elevated among LGB adults, clinicians must provide evidence-based approaches for identifying and managing suicide risk to LGB adults in an affirming manner.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide and self-destructive behavior; Homosexuality