
A new study that looks at suicide risk among U.S. teens who are lesbian, gay and bisexual finds they have disproportionately high rates of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts compared to their heterosexual peers. “The major message of this paper is that among a group of survivors of these types of violence, those who identify as a sexual minority are more likely to develop suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” said Émilie Ellis, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia. “We know that LGBTQ+ people are much more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but they’re also a lot more likely to have experienced trauma more frequently and to develop post-traumatic stress following those trauma exposures,” Ellis said in a university news release. Based on their answers to a questionnaire, LGBTQ high school students were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide, the researchers found, or to plan a suicide attempt and endure suicidal thoughts compared to their heterosexual classmates. This group was also more likely to experience trauma, including sexual or dating violence, as well as discrimination at home due to their sexual orientation. They were also more likely to experience bullying and victimization at school, according to the report. The suicidality issue may be even bigger than realized because of… read on > read on >