How to Prevent Suicide in LGBTQ+ People
Trigger warning for discussion of suicide. As a reminder, the new National Suicide Hotline for the United States is 988. Call 988 if you are thinking about harming yourself. Call 911 immediately if you have harmed yourself, are in significant danger, or know someone who is in danger.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month!
Throughout September, you will see many organizations—such as NAMI and the AFSP—discussing risk factors, signs, and prevention measures regarding people of all races and ages. There will be less content focused specifically on LGBTQIA+ suicide compared to general information. We will help fill this gap, starting with this week’s topic.
Today, we will learn about the unique risk factors, warning signs, treatment options, and suicide prevention measures for LGBTQIA+ people.
Risk Factors and Warning Signs
Being in the LGBTQIA+ community means you likely will face significant discrimination, stigma, and hatred. This is no fault of your own, but of others and their closed-off minds. While some individuals know that these attacks do not reflect their true worth, people with or at risk of mental health conditions sometimes cannot.
The unjustified discrimination, bullying, and violence LGBTQ+ people encounter can push them to their limits. It may cause self-isolation, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and drug use. The lack of an affirming environment is also a contributing factor to high suicide rates. It can lead LGBTQ+ people to feel unwanted and socially isolated.
Another major risk factor is minority stress: the high levels of stress experienced by minority groups. Minority stress is an especially big concern for LGBTQIA+ youth. The Trevor Project found that “LGBTQ youth who reported experiencing four types of minority stress…were 12 times at greater odds of attempting suicide compared to youth who experienced none.”
Not everyone who experiences these factors will attempt suicide, but if you are LGBTQIA+, your chances of doing so are elevated, especially compared to your heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Adult Queer women and men are four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight adults. As for LGBTQ+ youth, they are also four times more likely to make an attempt compared to straight and cisgender youth.
The first step to decreasing this prevalence is creating widespread awareness of the warning signs. Many of these signs are related to risk factors. For example, drug use can both increase a person’s chances of attempting suicide and serve as waring sign. So, someone may be a drug user already, become suicidal, and increase their drug use. Since the change might go unnoticed, it’s important to carefully monitor the behaviors of those who are at risk.
Other signs include giving away important possessions, withdrawing from previously enjoyable activities, and expressing a lack of interest in their future. Negative self-talk and expressions of hopelessness may manifest as well. LGBTQIA+ people are also prone to mood swings and increased anger when feeling suicidal or depressed.
Remember that some people who are thinking of ending their life do not want to draw attention to that fact. They may put on a mask and act like their normal self around other people. When this is the case, you should look for signs that are harder to disguise. These include a lack of sleep, unusual headaches, loss of appetite, new digestive issues, and abnormal body aches.
Keep in mind that the appearance of these symptoms, particularly if they were not present before, can indicate a new or worsening medical condition. Always consult with a doctor when a psychical illness might be present.
Treatment Options
Sometimes, no matter how hard you look, the signs are impossible to see. If gone unnoticed and someone attempts—but does not complete—suicide, there are treatment options. Depending on where you live, the first method of treatment may be involuntary hospitalization.
For example, UF Health states that Florida’s Baker Act allows “emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness, and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment.”
Sadly, many mental health facilities lack the specialized training to properly help LGBTQIA+ people. If the attempt was related to a person’s LGBTQIA+ status in any way, they should seek a provider or center that does have specialized treatment options.
This may be a therapist who primarily sees LGBTQIA+ patients or a facility whose providers undergo special training. You can start your search by exploring our list of LGBTQIA+ mental health care options.
Of course, any mental health treatment will come after the person who attempted suicide is no longer in immediate physical danger. If you or someone who knows has caused harm to themself, call 911 or go to the nearest ER immediately.
Prevention Measures
One clear way to prevent suicide is to notice the signs and get help right away. However, we would like it if we did not even get to such a critical point. For LGBTQIA+ people, there are unique ways in which we can prevent mental health issues.
Here are a few examples:
Make LGBTQ+ people feel accepted for who they are. The community can do this for themself by finding affirming spaces.
Be an open space for those who are struggling. Knowing that someone is always there can make a huge difference.
Stand up for others. If you see someone being harassed for their gender or sexuality, step in if it is safe to do so. By having the victims back, you show them that there are people who care.
Go to therapy. That’s right! Therapy is for everyone, not just those with severe mental illnesses or relationship problems. Finding an LGBTQ-friendly therapist can do wonders! Click here to learn how to find one.
Make future plans. Having things to look forward to can bring hope and joy.
Increasing legal protections and access to inclusive care are additional cornerstones of LGBTQ+ suicide prevention. But, your measures do not have to be on such a large scale.
Simply showing your LGBTQ+ friends that you accept and love them can be all the difference.
If you are an LGBTQ+ person who may be at risk, you should fine supportive spaces. This can be a school GSA, volunteer organization, advocacy group, or even a Discord server. No matter what, do your best to never get to the point where you have the urge or make a plan.
There are so many people, such as myself, who are here to help, support, and encourage you. If you need help finding a support system, visit our resource page. To dive a little deeper and have a good laugh, watch our LGBTQIA+ Suicide Prevention Webinar with Nicole Wilson of The Spark Initiative. You can earn service learning hours by watching the entire YouTube video!
Sources:
https://www.datocms-assets.com/12810/1602772688-facts-about-mental-health-and-suicide-risk-among-l gbtq-people.pdf https://afsp.org/story/thriving-with-pride-three-ways-to-support-lgbtq-youth
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/ https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/11/queer-adults-much-higher-risk-suicide/
https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Suicide-Prevention-Awareness-Month-(SPAM)
https://lgbtqplus.usc.edu/resources/comingout/suicide/
https://www.bridgestorecovery.com/blog/5-warning-signs-of-suicidal-behavior-that-are-easy-to-miss/ https://ufhealth.org/baker-act
