LGBTQ+ Youth Suicidality: The Impact of Childhood Experiences

• In Event: 40820 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 16: Fraught Intimacies and Leisure

Abstract

In this study, I explore the topic of suicidality in the LGBTQ+ community and the impact of childhood experiences within the home, at school, and among peers. As the study focuses on LGBTQ+ youth, it is important to include participants who are as close to their childhood experiences as possible; in this case, those aged 18-26. The individuals also jointly identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and have experienced suicidal ideation and/or attempted suicide. The spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities is broad; therefore, the study only excludes individuals who identify as both heterosexual/straight and cisgender. The study attempts to link experiences of identity to future suicidal ideation and attempts. While suicidality has been given attention from the field of sociology, Williams et.al. (2022) point to a lack of research aimed at prevention, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. Studies often focus solely on contributing factors and often fail to utilize the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals to inform potential preventative, protective, or moderating factors. For this study, I used a survey designed to capture key demographic information as well as investigate the key factors leading to an individual’s suicidal ideation and/or attempt. Additionally, this survey was utilized to identify individuals for in-depth, semi-structured interviews of individuals that identify as bisexual, as these individuals face a higher suicide risk than their peers. The survey was broadly distributed in an attempt to gather a large-n sample, so that multivariate methods like regression can be used to glean findings. Preliminary findings indicate the significant impact of childhood experiences on LGBTQ+ suicidality.

Author

• Payton Alaina Goodman, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy