GAY ADOLESCENTS AND SUICIDE

Gay Adolescents And Suicide

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Table of Content

Chapter 1: Introduction3

Background of the Study3

Scope of the Research4

Chapter 2: Literature Review6

Chapter 3: Research Methodology15

Methodology15

Participants15

Ethics and moral considerations16

References18

Chapter 1: Introduction

The central reasons for attempting to uncover the factors which place these adolescents and young adults at a high risk of suicide are to effectively find some ways to prevent these attempts and construct a program to disband suicidal ideation from the gay, lesbian, and bisexual population. For the past several years the issue of gay and lesbian adolescents and young adults being vulnerable to depression and suicide has been fairly addressed by researchers. Most recently Bagley and D'Augelli (2000), criticised the supported arguments in Britain surrounding a law, which forbade the use of public funds for counselling and support of homosexual youth in schools and in some health and social service settings. In this society, gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths not only have to deal with the transition of adolescents and young adulthood, but also have to develop a positive self-identity/self-image as a homosexual person in a homophobic society (Gibson 1989).

Background of the Study

Surveys of homosexual populations have raised questions about suicide risk in relation to sexual orientation. Studies have reported inconsistent findings of higher lifetime frequency rates of depressive symptoms, alcohol and other drug abuse, and suicidal behaviour in homosexual samples, compared with heterosexual samples (Cochran & Mays 1994). Studies using volunteer or convenience samples that measured the lifetime frequency of suicide attempts in gay and bisexual adolescents found percentages ranging from 20% to 39%, with a median of 31% (Remafedi et al. 1991, Remafedi 1987, Schneider et al. 1989, Roesler & Deiser 1972, Herdt et al. 1993, Rotherman et al. 1994). More improved Population-based studies, using statewide data on youth populations that contain GLB youth together with heterosexuals, provide comparison rates that seem to give an accurate portrayal of the suicidality of youth populations with percentage ranging from 12% to 62% and a median of 37%. ( Remafedi et al., 1998; Herrell et al., 1999; Faulkner & Cranston, 1998; Bangley & Tremblay 1997, Garofalo et al. 1998, , Cochran & Mays 2000). Research have identified risk factors for self-injury in gay youth, nondisclosure of sexual orientation to others, intrapsychic conflict over nonconformist sexuality, gender nonconformity, and interpersonal conflicts including personal attacks within the family and at school (Gibson 1989, Remafedi & Farrow 1991, Remafedi 1994, Savin-Williams 1994, Hunter 1990). These samples were recruited mainly through support groups or social agencies.  The findings in these studies concluded that gay youth are particularly at increased risk for attempted and completed suicide.

Scope of the Research

Other researchers maintain that these samples are misrepresentative groups of homosexual adolescents and that the key factors of importance in risk for attempted or completed suicide are existing psychopathologic characteristics, especially alcohol and other drug abuse and dependence, and depression(Shaffer et al. 1995; Moscicki 1995; Muehrer 1995).  McKirnan et al. (1988), and Blumenthal (1990), explain that although the humiliation related to homosexuality may be a ...