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Suicide & the LGBTQIA+ Community

For more information please visit The Trevor Project
Suicide & the LGBTQIA+ Community
Suicide & the LGBTQIA+ Community
Suicide & the LGBTQIA+ Community
LGBTQIA youth are three times more likely to “contemplate suicide” than their heterosexual counterparts and are five times more likely to have attempted suicide. Youths that have families that are “highly rejecting… are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection” (The Trevor Project)

 

 

 

Warning Signs for Suicide


For more information please visit The Trevor Project
Self Harm

Self Harm

Self Harm can be an early warning sign for suicide. LGBTQIA+ people are at a higher risk for self-injury than their heterosexual or cis-gendered peers. This can be due to higher levels of mental stress which leads to mental health issues and other at-risk behaviors. Events that lead to higher levels of mental stress can be discriminatory events, issues of self-identity, and social attitudes.

For more information, please visit The Relationship between NSSI and LGBTQ Identities by Reddy et al.


For more information please visit Medical News Today

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a risk factor for suicide, especially when coupled with other mental illnesses. Suicide is a leading cause of death for people with eating disorders, second only to malnutrition.

Those in the LGBTQIA+ community are more likely to develop an eating disorder than their heterosexual or cis-gendered counterparts based on several factors including fear of rejection, being a victim of bullying, and the inability to meet body ideals.

“A sense of connectedness to the gay community was related to fewer current eating disorders, which suggests that feeling connected to the gay community may have a protective effect against eating disorders” (NEDA).

For more information please visit NEDA: Eating Disorders in LGBTQ+ Populations and Eating Disorders and Suicide Risk by L. Muhlheim.


For more information please visit The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Substance Use and SUDS in LGBTQ* Populations

Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a risky behavior that can be a warning sign for suicide. Those in the LGBTQIA+ community may turn to substances as a means of managing pain of rejection and bullying.

LGB adults have higher rates of general substance abuse than their heterosexual or cisgender peers. This includes opioid, prescription opioid, marijuana, and tobacco use. Only 7.4% of treatment groups cater specifically to the LGBTQIA+ community, and these specific treatment groups have a higher success rate than standard groups. Treatment groups that are targeted to the LGBTQIA+ community are more successful because they address issues that are specific to the community.


For more information please visit The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Substance Use and SUDS in LGBTQ* Populations

Homelessness

Due to high levels of family rejection and discrimination, LGBTQIA+ youth are more likely to become homeless than other populations. LGBTQ+ youth make up 40% of the homeless youth population. The combination of homelessness and other mental health issues leads to nearly 60% of this population that is at higher risk of suicide.

To learn more about Homelessness and Mental Health, please visit A Spotlight on Homelessness & Mental Health.

 

 


Colin W. Miller. we’ve been distant, 2021. Watercolor and ink on paper. 4.25″ x 5.5″