Unique risk factors for suicide attempt among bisexual/pansexual versus gay/lesbian individuals

Abstract

Introduction

The present study examined whether sexual identity (bisexual/pansexual versus gay/lesbian) moderated associations between risk factors and lifetime suicide attempt (SA).

Method

Community/college adults who identified as sexual minorities (N = 231) completed a survey examining suicide-related risk factors.

Results

Greater discrimination and less social support from friends and significant others were associated with greater odds of lifetime SA for both groups, whereas greater emotion dysregulation and rumination were only associated with greater odds of lifetime SA for bisexual/pansexual individuals.

Conclusion

There are common and unique risk factors for SA among subgroups of sexual minorities, which may have intervention implications.

Keywords:

• Sexual minority
• suicide attempt
• bisexual
• minority stress
• risk factors

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics statement

This study involving human participants was reviewed and approved by Rutgers University. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Notes

1 Consistent with prior research (e.g., Galupo et al., 2015; Meyer et al., 2020), we use the term sexual minority to refer to people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or any other non-heterosexual identity. However, we acknowledge that others have conceptualized BDSM and other forms of kink as minority sexual orientations as well (e.g., Sprott & Williams, 2019).

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by The New Jersey Psychological Association. Brian Feinstein’s time was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA045575; PI: Feinstein). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.