Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among LGBTQ Youth: Meta-Analyses and a Systematic Review. 2021

Tyler Hatchel, and Joshua R Polanin, and Dorothy L Espelage

Suicide continues to be the second-leading cause of death for all youths aged 15-24. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at a significantly higher risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors (STB). Establishing and understanding correlates of STB among LGBTQ youth is one important step toward enhancing prevention, intervention, and research efforts. To synthesize current knowledge on suicide among LGBTQ youth, the present meta-analyses offer results from 44 studies over the past 20 years. Two-hundred and thirty-four correlation coefficient effect sizes were calculated and categorized. To be included, the study had to quantitatively examine correlates of STB among LGBTQ youth. A number of social-science databases were used to examine the existing published research. Results illustrated the variability among correlates of STB as well as substantial limitations in the extant literature. There was a heterogeneity of effect sizes, a lack of novel correlates, a focus on risk, a dearth of theoretically driven designs, moderate publication bias, a paucity of developmentally driven analyses, and a dearth of research with transgender youth.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D001727 Bisexuality The sexual attraction or relationship between members of both the same and the opposite SEX.
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072339 Sexual and Gender Minorities Individuals including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, gender non-conforming people, and other populations whose sexual orientation or GENDER IDENTITY and reproductive development is considered outside cultural, societal, or physiological norms. Gays,Gender Diverse,LGBTQ,LGBTQIA,Bisexuals,GLBT Persons,Gender Minorities,Homosexuals,LBG Persons,LGBT Persons,LGBTQ Persons,Lesbians,Lesbigay Persons,Men Who Have Sex With Men,Non-Heterosexual Persons,Non-Heterosexuals,Queers,Sexual Dissidents,Sexual Minorities,Women Who Have Sex With Women,Bisexual,Dissident, Sexual,Dissidents, Sexual,Diverse, Gender,GLBT Person,Gay,Gender Minority,Homosexual,LBG Person,LGBT Person,LGBTQ Person,Lesbian,Lesbigay Person,Minorities, Gender,Minorities, Sexual,Minority, Gender,Minority, Sexual,Non Heterosexual Persons,Non Heterosexuals,Non-Heterosexual,Non-Heterosexual Person,Person, GLBT,Person, LBG,Person, LGBT,Person, LGBTQ,Person, Lesbigay,Person, Non-Heterosexual,Persons, GLBT,Persons, LBG,Persons, LGBT,Persons, LGBTQ,Persons, Lesbigay,Queer,Sexual Dissident,Sexual Minority
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D059020 Suicidal Ideation A risk factor for suicide attempts and completions, it is the most common of all suicidal behavior, but only a minority of ideators engage in overt self-harm. Ideation, Suicidal,Ideations, Suicidal,Suicidal Ideations
D018452 Homosexuality, Female Sexual attraction or relationship between females. Lesbianism,Female Homosexuality
D063106 Transgender Persons Persons having a sense of persistent identification with, and expression of, gender-coded behaviors not typically associated with one's anatomical sex at birth, with or without a desire to undergo SEX REASSIGNMENT PROCEDURES. Trans-Feminine Persons,Trans-Masculine Persons,Transfeminine Persons,Transgendered Persons,Transmasculine Persons,Transexuals,Transgenders,Transsexual Persons,Two-Spirit Persons,Person, Trans-Feminine,Person, Trans-Masculine,Person, Transfeminine,Person, Transgender,Person, Transgendered,Person, Transmasculine,Person, Transsexual,Person, Two-Spirit,Trans Feminine Persons,Trans Masculine Persons,Trans-Feminine Person,Trans-Masculine Person,Transexual,Transfeminine Person,Transgender,Transgender Person,Transgendered Person,Transmasculine Person,Transsexual Person,Two Spirit Persons,Two-Spirit Person

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