SPRC REPORT AND RESEARCH SHOWS HIGHER SUICIDE RISK FOR LGBT YOUTH
By: John Draper, Ph.D., Director of Lifeline
It is important that the Lifeline network of centers be aware of some critical, emerging research around the suicide risks of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth, as well as some vital resources—including the Trevor Project’s AAS-accredited national helpline—that are designed to reduce LGBT youth suicide risk.
A Brief Review of the Findings
Through SAMHSA funding, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has recently released a groundbreaking report summarizing the current state of research on the suicide risks of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth (http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf ). The report notes that suicide rates for persons who are LGBT are much harder to quantify, as sexual orientation is rarely included in cause of death certificates or reported in obituaries. However, data related to suicide attempts and LGB youth has been less elusive. This paper’s review of findings unequivocally demonstrates that LGB youth have up to 4 times higher risk of attempting suicide than their heterosexual peers. Investigators have noted that LGB youth suicide attempts are not only more frequent but are also more lethal in method, requiring more intensive medical interventions and resources. In further contrast to heterosexual youth, the paper reports research showing that LGB teens also have significantly higher rates of depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.
The reasons for such higher rates of suicidal distress and attempts among LGB youth are fairly clear. The level of discrimination, rejection and abuse—at both the sociological and familial levels—is profound among young LGB populations. Interestingly, the higher rates of suicide attempts among LGB populations are specific to youth, where coming to terms with their sexuality intersects with (and magnifies the stresses of) a time of life often filled with increasingly intense personal, peer, parental and academic pressures.
While bullying from peers is shown to have substantive affects on suicidal ideation, perhaps the most dramatic stressor on LGB youth suicide attempts relates to their family’s reactions to their sexual orientation. Dr. Caitlin Ryan and her colleagues reported striking findings to this effect in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics, where they compared family rejecting reactions to accepting reactions in relation to the sexual orientation of college-aged LGB family members
They found that young LGB adults who were subjected to family rejecting reactions had over 8 times the suicide attempts, 6 times the depression and over 3 times the use of illegal drug use of their “family accepted” counterparts. In addition, the “family rejected” LGB young adults in this study were over 3 times more likely to have unprotected sex, creating greater health risks for both them and their sex partners.
Resources for Help, including the Trevor National Helpline
Fortunately there are a number of information and support resources that can assist both distressed LGB youth and their families. The SPRC paper lists a number of programs that can be helpful, one of which includes “providing information to crisis line staff” about LGB youth suicide risks. I strongly suggest that you make your staffs aware of the information in this article and the adjoining links to research and resources.
The Ryan article notes a number of resources for providing support for families with LGB children, including:
- PFLAG: Education, information and support for parents and families with LGB family members; referrals to LGB community resources and services: www.pflag.org . Also PFLAG for Families of Color and Allies, in New York City, assists with families of color and provides a number of resources in Spanish (www.pflagfamiliesofcolor.org ).
- API Family Pride: Education, information and support for Asian and Pacific Islander families with LGB family members: www.apifamilypride.org.
- Family Acceptance Project: Research-based education and services for ethnically diverse families with LGB children in English, Spanish and Chinese; currently developing provider assessment and intervention tools to help enhance family supports for ethnically diverse LGB children and youth: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu.
As a network of hotlines can well appreciate, perhaps one of the most important suicide prevention resources for at risk LGBTQ youth is The Trevor Project’s national suicide prevention Helpline (866-4-U-TREVOR; www.thetrevorproject.org ). Charles Robbins, Executive Director & CEO of the Trevor Project, is a member of the Lifeline’s Consumer Survivor Subcommittee. The Trevor Line’s recent AAS accreditation underscores their dedication to best practices in providing helpline services to their LGBTQ youth callers (the “Q” = “questioning”, a term used to describe persons that are unsure about or still exploring their sexual orientation). We have asked Charles to write a blog article describing the Trevor Project’s services to our member centers (now posted, see http://www.crisiscentersblog.com/?p=457 ), which I urge you to read and pass along to your staffs.
Thank you for doing everything you can to promote awareness among your staff, colleagues and local community about the need to prevent suicide for all persons who could be at risk, regardless of their age, race, ethnic group or sexual orientation.
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