Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
State-level Heterosexism, Perceived Community Climate, and Suicide Risk among LGBQ+ Adults
Authors: Alexandra VanBergen
Presenting Author: Alexandra VanBergen*
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+) adults are at an increased risk of dying by suicide as LGBQ+ adults are more likely to report suicide thoughts and attempts than heterosexual adults. However, research examining underlying mechanisms to LGBQ+ suicide risk disparities are lacking. LGBQ+ mental health disparities are partially due to minority stress—stress rooted in the marginalization of LGBQ+ identities—including a lack of support from one’s community. However, limited research has examined how minority stress varies by contextual factors, including state-level policies, and whether suicide risk is associated with state-level policies via individual-level perceptions of community climate and discrimination experiences. Data from the National Couples’ Health and Time Study was used to (1) identify if LGBQ+ adults report more discrimination and worse perceptions of community climate in states that lack policies to protect LGBQ+ individuals than LGBQ+ adults in states with protective policies, (2) whether suicide risk (e.g., loneliness, suicide intent) is associated with state-level policies, perceived community climate, and discrimination, and (3) whether these associations differ by sexual identity. Preliminary findings show that LGBQ+ respondents in states without LGBQ+ protections had lower community climate scores, but similar experiences of discrimination compared to those in states with LGBQ+ protections. Furthermore, LGBQ+ adults who rated their communities as “a good place” for LGBQ+ people were less likely to report suicide thoughts and less likely to be clinically lonely (scores above 6 are associated with mortality). Bisexual respondents had the highest suicide risk but seemed to benefit the most from positive community climates: 43% reported suicide thoughts when rating their community as “not a good place” for LGBQ+ individuals, but only 16% reported suicide thoughts when rating their community as “a good place” for LGBQ+ individuals.