The Correlation Between Sexual Orientation, Self-Harm, and Suicide in Young People

Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages
10 to 24? Members of the LGBT community make up a large portion of that statistic; nearly half
of young transgender people have seriously considered taking their own lives, and one quarter
report having made a suicide attempt, while lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are 4 times more
likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide than their straight peers
("Facts About Suicide", 2015). Raising awareness of the correlation between sexual orientation,
self-harm, and suicide may help reverse the appalling trend of suicide in young people.
Self-harm and suicide can be a form of self-medication stemming from factors such as:
physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at school and home, lack of parental and peer acceptance
and/or involvement, harassment, discrimination, bullying and shaming. Though LGBT youth
arent the only teens experiencing these stressors, they do appear to be targeted because of their
position as a minority. When people dont understand or dont realize the effects that their
actions on/or words have on alienated teens, the outcome can be catastrophic.
Parental and family relationships have a major role in determining the future of LGBTQ
youth. Clinical social worker Caitlin Ryan's Family Acceptance Project conducted the first study
of the effect of parental and family acceptance and rejection on the physical health, mental health
and well-being of LGBT youth, including suicide, HIV/AIDS and homelessness. The research
shows that members of the LGBTQ community who experience high levels of rejection from
their families during adolescence (when compared with those young people who experienced
little or no rejection from parents and caregivers) were over eight times more likely to have
attempted suicide, over six times more likely to report high levels of depression, over three times
more likely to use illegal drugs and over three times more likely to be at high risk for HIV or
other STDs by the time they reach their early 20s ("Suicide among LGBT youth", 2015).

My brother recently came out as gay to our immediate family, I am asexual myself, and I
have several LGBTQ friends and acquaintances, so I know personally how the attitude of parents
and family members can affect the well-being of teens. Teenagers are still looking to their
parents for guidance, so if they rejected within their families, they feel as if there is something
wrong with themselves, and feel like no one could love them for who they are. Coming out of the
closet is such a huge deal for LGBT youth because they dont know exactly how others will
react, and are afraid that they will be hurt. I know someone who was kicked out of their house
for being gay, and another that seriously contemplated suicide, but I also know others that have
become closer to their parents and have better friendships and relationships because of it. The
difference came down to the reaction of their parents and family members.
Self-injury and suicide cannot always be prevented by the parents of course, but as the
closest people to their teens, parents have the responsibility to try their hardest that their children
are not in a situation where they would feel that self-harm or suicide are their only option. Selfinjury typically begins in adolescence, a time when sexuality and sexual orientation are being
explored. LGBT youth, particularly those who have not yet come out and/or formed close
relationships with others they relate to, seem particularly susceptible to many of the factors that
may contribute to self-injurious behaviors. These teens often lack a solid support system and/or
resources, struggle to fit in, hide their sexual orientation, and are at a point in life when they have
limited functional coping skills. Research has demonstrated that LGBTQ youth have higher
rates of suicide and other types of self-damaging behaviors such as alcohol and drug use. So, it
makes sense that this particular group is likely confronted with numerous overwhelming
emotions and limited resources for coping, placing them at higher risk to self-injure than those
without the pressures associated with being LGBTQ.

If you mention self-harm, many people will shake their heads or shrug it off, believing
it to be the domain of attention-seeking teen girls or misunderstood Goth kids. It is seen by many
not as a problem that needs care and attention but as a form of self-indulgent manipulation or
self-pity, that the person in question will at some point grow out of. The reality is that any one, of
any age or any gender, may find themselves using self-harm as a coping method, for any number
of reasons. Many times it is because they feel isolated and unhappy in one way of another.
People express varying degrees of distress from anger through to self-hate and can self-harm to
cope, but also punish themselves. Many people express confusions over identity and might selfharm because they have family difficulties or money difficulties or it might be a more personal
thing about themselves.
Certainly, being LGBT does not mean that one is going to self-injure, nor does being a
self-injurer means that someone is automatically LGBT. However, it does appear that there may
be good reason for the evidence that there is a higher proportion of self-injurers within the
LGBTQ community. Shame, secrecy, isolation, feeling different, poor body image, low selfesteem, abuse history, poor support system, and limited coping outlets are all possible issues
associated with being a member of the LGBT community. These same factors have also been
shown to be linked with self-injury (Alderman, 2009). Everyone needs to understand that
education, compassion and acceptance of LGBTQ youth are the keys to reversing the trend of
self-harm and suicide in young people.

Citations
Alderman, T. (2009, November 16). The Relationship Between Self-Injury and Sexual
Orientation. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thescarred-soul/200911/the-relationship-between-self-injury-and-sexual-orientation
Suicide among LGBT youth. (2015, February 8). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_among_LGBT_youth
Facts About Suicide. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/facts-about-suicide