First of what exactly is suicide? We find a lot of people mentioning that they have suicidal tendencies but do People really know what that mean.
By definition suicide could be defined as;
1) (uncountable) of oneself.
2) (countable) A particular of a person intentionally himself or herself, or of multiple people doing so.
3) (countable) A person who has intentionally killed him/herself.
Researchers have found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth is comparatively higher than among the general population. LGBT teens and young adults have one of the highest rates of suicide attempts. According to some groups, this is linked to heterocentric cultures and institutionalised homophobia in some cases, including the use of rights and protections for LGBT people as a political wedge issue like in the contemporary efforts to halt legalising same-sex marriages. Depression and drug use among LGBT people have both been shown to increase significantly after new laws that discriminate against gay people are passed.
Research on completed suicides in sexual minorities is preliminary. Members of the LGBT community have higher rates of all-cause mortality, and those living in areas with a higher degree of social stigma towards homosexuality tend to complete suicide at a younger age
Bullying of LGBT youth has been shown to be a contributing factor in many suicides, even if not all of the attacks have been specifically addressing sexuality or gender Since a series of suicides in the early 2000s, more attention has been focused on the issues and underlying causes in an effort to reduce suicides among LGBTQ youth. The Family Acceptance Project's research has demonstrated that "parental acceptance, and even neutrality, with regard to a child's sexual orientation" can bring down theattempted suicide rate. Suicidal ideation and attempts seem to be roughly the same for heterosexual youth as for youth counterparts who have same-sex attractions and behavior but do not identify as being LGBTQ. This correlates with the findings of a large survey of US adults that found higher rates of "mood and anxiety disorders, key risk factors for suicidal behavior," are linked to people who identify as gay, lesbian, and bisexual, rather than sexual behaviors, especially for men.
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention notes there are no national data (for the U.S.) regarding suicidal ideation or suicide rates among the LGBT population as a whole or in part, for LGBT youth or LGBT seniors, for example. In part because there is no agreed percentage of the national population that is LGBTQ, or even identifies as LGBTQ, also death certificates do not include sexuality information. A 1986 study noted that previous large scale studies of completed suicides did not "consider sexual orientation in their data analyses."
Reports and studies Clinical social worker Caitlin Ryan's Family Acceptance Project (San Francisco State University) conducted the first study of the effect of family acceptance and rejection on the health, mental health and well-being of LGBT youth, including suicide, HIV/AIDS and homelessness. Their research shows that LGBT youths "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 more than eight times likely to have attempted suicide, more than six times likely to report high levels of depression, more than three times likely to use illegal drugs and more than three times likely to be at high risk for HIV or other STDs" by the time they reach their early 20s.
Numerous studies have shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have a higher rate of suicide attempts than do heterosexual youth. The Suicide
Prevention Resource Center synthesized these studies and estimated that between 30 and 40% of LGBT youth, depending on age and sex groups, have attempted suicide. A U.S. government study, titled Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, published in 1989, found that LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. This higher prevalence of suicidal ideation and overall mental health problems among gay teenagers compared to their heterosexual peers has been attributed to minority stress. "More than 34,000 people die by suicide each year," making it "the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds with lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth attempting suicide up to four times more than their heterosexual peers."
It is impossible to know the exact suicide rate of LGBT youth because sexuality and gender minorities are often hidden and even unknown, particularly in this age group. Further research is currently being done to explain the prevalence of school climate, "approximately 25 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual students and university employees have been harassed due to their sexual orientation, as well as a third of those who identify as transgender, according to the study and reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education." Research has found the presence of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in schools is associated with decreased suicide attempts; in a study of LGBTQ youth, ages 13–22, 16.9% of youth who attended schools with GSAs attempted suicide versus 33.1% of students who attended schools without GSAs.
"LGBT students are three times as likely as non-LGBT students to say that they do not feel safe at school (22% vs. 7%) and 90% of LGBT students (vs. 62% of non-LGBT teens) have been harassed or assaulted during the past year." In addition, "LGBQ students were more likely than heterosexual students to have seriously considered leaving their institution as a result of harassment and discrimination." Susan Rankin, a contributing author to the report in Miami, found that "Unequivocally, The 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People demonstrates that LGBTQ students, faculty and staff experience a 'chilly' campus climate of harassment and far less than welcoming campus communities."
The internet is also an important factor for LGBTQ. An international study found that suicidal LGBTQ showed important differences with suicidal heterosexuals, in a matched-pairs study. That study found suicidal LGBTQ were more likely to communicate suicidal intentions, more likely to search for new friends online, and found more support online than did suicidal heterosexuals.
According to a study in Taiwan, 1 in 5 or 20% of Taiwanese gay people have attempted suicide.
Developmental psychology perspectives The diathesis-stress model suggests that biological vulnerabilities predispose individuals to different conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and mental health conditions like major depression, a risk factor for suicide. Varying amounts of environmental stress increase the probability that these individuals will develop that condition. Minority stress theory suggests that minority status leads to increased discrimination from the social environment which leads to greater stress and health problems. In the presence of poor emotion regulation skills this can lead to poor mental health. Also, the differential susceptibility hypothesis suggests that for some individuals their physical and mental development is highly dependent on their environment in a "for-better-and-for-worse" fashion. That is, individuals who are highly susceptible will have better than average health in highly supportive environments and significantly worse than average health in hostile, violent environments. The model can help explain the unique health problems affecting LGBT populations including increased suicide attempts. For adolescents, the most relevant environments are the family, neighborhood, and school. Adolescent bullying - which is highly prevalent among sexual minority
youths - is a chronic stressor that can increase risk for suicide via the diathesis-stress model. In a study of American lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents, Mark Hatzenbuehler examined the effect of the county-level social environment. This was indexed by the proportion of same-sex couples and Democrats living in the counties. Also included were the proportions of schools with gay-straight alliances as well as anti-bullying and antidiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation. He found that a more conservative social environment elevated risk in suicidal behavior among all youth and that this effect was stronger for LGB youth. Furthermore, he found that the social environment partially mediated the relation between LGB status and suicidal behaviour. Hatzenbuehler found that even after such social as well as individual factors were controlled for, however, that "LGB status remained a significant predictor of suicide attempts."
Institutionalized and internalized homophobia Institutionalized and internalized homophobia may also lead LGBT youth to not accept themselves and have deep internal conflicts about their sexual orientation. Parents may force children out of home after the child's coming out.
Homophobia arrived at by any means can be a gateway to bullying which can take many forms. Physical bullying is kicking, punching, while emotional bullying is name calling, spreading rumors and other verbal abuse. Cyber bullying involves abusive text messages or messages of the same nature onFacebook, Twitter, and other social media networks. Sexual bullying is inappropriate touching, lewd gestures or jokes.
Bullying may be considered a "rite of passage" but studies have shown it has negative physical and psychological effects. "Sexual minority youth, or teens that identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, are bullied two to three times more than heterosexuals", and "almost all transgender students
have been verbally harassed (e.g., called names or threatened in the past year at school because of their sexual orientation (89%) and gender expression (89%)") according to GLSEN's Harsh Realities, The Experiences of Transgender Youth In Our Nation's Schools.
This issue has been a hot topic for media outlets over the past few years, and even more so in the months of September and October 2010. President Barack Obama has posted an "It Gets Better" video on The White House website as part of the It Gets Better Project. First lady Michelle Obama attributes such behaviors to the examples parents set as, in most cases, children follow their lead.
How to know someone expressing suicide tendencies;
Have you ever heard someone say two or more of the following?
4. Life isn't worth living
5. My family (or friends or girlfriend/boyfriend) would be better off without me
6. Next time I'll take enough pills to do the job right
7. Take my prized collection or valuables — I don't need this stuff anymore
8. Don't worry, I won't be around to deal with that
9. You'll be sorry when I'm gone
10. I won't be in your way much longer
11. I just can't deal with everything — life's too hard
12. I won't be a burden much longer
13. Nobody understands me — nobody feels the way I do
14. There's nothing I can do to make it better
15. I'd be better off dead
16. I feel like there is no way out
17. You'd be better off without me
Have you noticed them doing one or more of the following activities?
1.) Getting affairs in order (paying off debts, changing a will)
2.) Giving away articles of either personal or monetary value
3.) Signs of planning a suicide such as obtaining a weapon or writing a suicide note
Suicide is one of the most serious symptoms of someone who is suffering from severe depression. Common signs of depression include:
1. Depressed or sad mood (e.g., feeling "blue" or "down in the dumps")
2. A change in the person's sleeping patterns (e.g., sleeping too much or too little, or having difficulty sleeping the night through)
3. A significant change in the person's weight or appetite
4. Speaking and/or moving with unusual speed or slowness
5. Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities (e.g., hobbies, outdoor activities, hanging around with friends)
6. Withdrawal from family and friends
7. Fatigue or loss of energy
8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, slowed thinking or indecisiveness
9. Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, or guilt
10. Thoughts of death, suicide, or wishes to be dead
Sometimes somebody who is trying to cope with depression on their own will be seen turning to things like alcohol or drugs to help ward away the depressivefeelings. Others might eat more, watch television for hours on end in bed, and not want to leave their house, apartment or dorm room. Sometimes a person who is depressed may stop caring about their physical appearance on a regular basis, or whether they shower or brush their teeth.
Typically, people who suffer from serious, clinical depression feel depressed for weeks or months on end, so someone who's just having a particularly rough or stressful week (because of school demands, relationship issues, work issues, etc.) may not be suffering from clinical depression.
*It is also notable that more suicides are attempted after national or local hate crimes. (Like the Orlando shooting.)
How to help;
- Reach out to them. Talk to them, remind them that they're worth it. A very good author here on wattpad committed suicide . He mentioned it a few times but many of us never thought it'd actually happen. His brother made an announcement on his account after a week of his inactivity. I was crushed. I'm sure if we hadn't brushed it of as another happening it wouldn't have happened. Remember suicidal LGBT teens are more likely to look for acceptance online and it's only natural to give it to them.
- You can stand up for them. Do not pretend as if their lives in school or at home isn't your business. It shows that suicidal tendencies are lower with a higher support/Allie to LGBTQ+ member ratio.
- You can refer a suicidal teen (or do it yourself if they protest.) To the hotline suicide help numbers on www. glccb. org
Thank you for reading and may the souls of all those killed in the Orlando shooting rest in peace.
By saintc