Some Suicide-Related Outcomes Increased for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Groups
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 20, 2023 -- Specific lesbian, gay, and bisexual groups have an increased risk for certain suicide-related outcomes, according to a study published online June 9 in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
Garrett Kidd, from University College of London, and colleagues analyzed data combined from two population-based representative household surveys of 10,443 English adults sampled in 2007 and 2014. In multivariable logistic regression models, the association between sexuality and three suicide-related outcomes was examined: past-year suicidal thoughts, past-year suicide attempt, and lifetime nonsuicidal self-harm (NSSH). Bullying and discrimination were added to the final models separately to examine whether the associations are mediated by these variables.
The researchers found that compared with heterosexuals, lesbian/gay people were more likely to report past-year suicidal thoughts (adjusted odds ratio, 2.20). An increased probability of suicide attempt was not seen for any of the minority groups. The likelihood of reporting lifetime NSSH was increased for bisexual and lesbian/gay individuals versus heterosexuals (adjusted odds ratios, 3.02 and 3.19, respectively). Some evidence supported a contribution of bullying in the association between lesbian/gay identity and past-year suicidal thoughts and for each of the minority stress variables in the associations with NSSH. No interaction was seen with gender or survey year.
"While national surveys of British attitudes towards same-sex relationships suggest that society has become more tolerant of people who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, there is clearly a long way to go, as the mental health outcomes we were studying did not improve across our study period," a coauthor said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2023
Read this next
Bidirectional Link ID'd for Change in Depressive Symptoms, Memory Change
THURSDAY, June 13, 2024 -- A linear change in depressive symptoms is associated with accelerated memory change and vice versa in adults aged 50 years or older, according to a...
Exposure to Depressive Symptoms Linked to Worse Cognitive Function
WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2024 -- Exposure to elevated depressive symptoms starting in young adulthood is associated with worse cognitive function over midlife, with the association...
Risk of Suicide, Homicide Both Higher at Night
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- The risk of suicide and homicide is higher at night than might be expected based on the number of people awake at that time, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.