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Anderson AM, Mallory AB, Alston AD, Warren BJ, Morgan E, Bridge JA, Ford JL. Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Suicide Outcomes in Transgender and Gender Diverse Young Adults. Arch Suicide Res 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38853399 DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2024.2356613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations have a higher prevalence of suicide outcomes compared to cisgender peers. Further, among TGD groups, young adults frequently demonstrate a higher risk compared to other age cohorts. While evidence supports sociodemographic differences in suicide risk, these relationships are not well-established for TGD young adults. METHOD A secondary data analysis of the young adult (18-24 years) subpopulation of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey was conducted. Predicted probabilities of 12-month and lifetime suicide outcomes by gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, homelessness, and poverty were estimated comparing fully adjusted models. RESULTS Gender identity, race/ethnicity, and homelessness were significantly associated with all suicide outcomes. Comparisons of gender identities were significant for all outcomes and varied based on the outcome. American Indian/Alaska Native TGD young adults had the highest predicted probabilities compared to other race/ethnicity groups. Further, having a heterosexual/straight sexual identity was among the lowest predicted probabilities for suicide outcomes and significantly differed from several of the other sexual identities. CONCLUSIONS Findings underscore the importance of heterogeneity among TGD young adults and the need for intersectional research within this population. Elucidating sociodemographic characteristics that contribute to differential suicide risk is necessary for effective intervention strategies and policy advocacy.
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Baiden P, LaBrenz CA, Broni MN, Baiden JF, Adepoju OE. Prevalence of youth experiencing homelessness and its association with suicidal thoughts and behaviors: Findings from a population-based study. Psychiatry Res 2024; 334:115823. [PMID: 38430817 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Although various studies have examined factors associated with suicidal behaviors among youth, few studies have investigated the association between youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) using a large nationally representative sample. The objectives of this study were to investigate prevalence of YEH and its association with STBs. Data for this study came from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. An analytic sample of 17,033 youth aged 14-18 (51.7 % male) was analyzed using binary logistic regression. Of the 17,033 youth examined, 3 % experienced homelessness during the past 30 days, 21.3 % experienced suicidal ideation, 17.3 % made a suicide plan, and 10.9 % attempted suicide during the past 12 months. Controlling for demographic characteristics and feeling sad or hopeless, YEH was associated with 2.48 times higher odds of experiencing suicidal ideation (AOR=2.48, p<.001), 2.46 times higher odds of making a suicide plan (AOR=2.46, p<.001), and 4.38 times higher odds of making a suicide attempt (AOR=4.38, p<.001). The findings of this study highlight the importance of identifying youth who are at risk of experiencing homelessness to ensure early interventions are put in place to prevent suicidal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Baiden
- The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
| | - Catherine A LaBrenz
- The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019, United States
| | - Marisa N Broni
- University of Ghana, School of Public Health, P. O. Box LG 25, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - John F Baiden
- East Airport International School, P. O. Box KAPM 57, KIA, Accra, Ghana
| | - Omolola E Adepoju
- University of Houston, Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, 5055 Medical Circle, Houston, TX 77204, United States
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Mays VM, Gareeb M, Zhang X, Nguyen V, Rosenberg J, Lin Y, Arseniev-Koehler A, Eliav A, Foster JG, Baumgardner M, Cochran SD. Identifying Witnessed Suicides in National Violent Death Reporting System Narratives. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:209. [PMID: 38255097 PMCID: PMC10815175 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
There is increasing attention to suicides that occur in view of others, as these deaths can cause significant psychological impact on witnesses. This study illuminates characteristics of witnessed suicides and compares characteristics of these deaths to non-witnessed suicides. We develop a codable definition of what constitutes witnessed (vs. non-witnessed) suicide. Our data include a sample of 1200 suicide descriptions from the 2003-2017 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). We first developed criteria to identify probable cases of witnessed suicide. The coding scheme achieved 94.5% agreement and identified approximately 10% (n = 125) of suicides as witnessed. Next, we examined differences between witnessed and non-witnessed suicides in demographics, manner of death, and social/environmental factors using bivariate Chi-squared tests, multivariate logistic regression, and ANOVA. Witnessed suicide decedents were significantly more likely than non-witnessed suicide decedents to be male, younger, and members of a sexual minority, and to have died in living spaces by means of a firearm. Two thirds of witnesses were strangers to the decedents, while 23.2% were romantic partners or ex-partners of the decedents. Our coding method offers a reliable approach to identify witnessed suicides. While witnessed suicides are relatively infrequent, these deaths have profound impact on witnesses. Articulating the features of witnessed suicides may contribute to identifying potential risk mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vickie M. Mays
- Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Mikaela Gareeb
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Xingruo Zhang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
| | - Vivian Nguyen
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Joelle Rosenberg
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Yuri Lin
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Alina Arseniev-Koehler
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam Eliav
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Jacob Gates Foster
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Mika Baumgardner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Susan D. Cochran
- UCLA BRITE Center for Science, Research and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (M.G.); (V.N.); (Y.L.); (A.A.-K.); (A.E.); (J.G.F.); (S.D.C.)
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Blackburn AM, Katz BW, Oesterle DW, Orchowski LM. Preventing sexual violence in sexual orientation and gender diverse communities: A call to action. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2297544. [PMID: 38197295 PMCID: PMC10783832 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2297544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual orientation and gender diverse (SOGD) communities are at disproportionately higher risk for sexual violence compared to cisgender heterosexual people. Despite this elevated risk, relatively few sexual violence prevention efforts effectively reduce these victimization disparities based on sexual orientation or gender identity.Objective: This narrative review provides an overview of the prevalence of sexual violence in the SOGD communities, delineates risk factors for sexual victimization among SOGD community members, and reviews and evaluates existing prevention efforts for the SOGD communities. We outline specific recommendations for ensuring that prevention efforts meet the needs of the SOGD communities.Method: Drawing on ecological systems theory and public health approaches to sexual violence prevention, we outline current approaches and opportunities for preventionists and scholars to push the field forward.Results: There have been promising prevention programmes designed to be implemented within SOGD communities specifically; however, it is important that general primary prevention programmes endeavour to specifically address sexual violence perpetrated against SOGD people. While many packaged programmes that endeavour to prevent sexual violence across all gender identities and sexual orientations are inclusive of SOGD participants, more programming is needed that integrates anti-oppression training to target social norms that perpetuate SOGD-specific rape myths and normalize sexual violence against SOGD community members.Conclusion: Ecological prevention strategies in line with a public health approach for primary prevention may be particularly valuable for reducing victimization disparities based on SOGD status and identity. Comprehensive sexual education and anti-discrimination policies should be considered front-line prevention programming. To assess if these strategies are effective, the implementation of large-scale surveillance surveys that use comprehensive assessments of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual violence are needed. Using theoretically grounded implementation strategies for prevention programmes can ensure effective programme delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson M. Blackburn
- Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical-Community Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Benjamin W. Katz
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Daniel W. Oesterle
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Health & Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Orchowski
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Hahn HA, Blosnich JR. Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Veterans. Am J Prev Med 2023; 65:704-709. [PMID: 37037327 PMCID: PMC10523897 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adverse childhood experiences portend vulnerability to numerous physical and mental health concerns across the lifespan. Separate bodies of work suggest that both lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals and military veterans are more likely to report adverse childhood experiences than their non-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer and non-veteran counterparts, respectively. Although lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans experience health disparities compared with non-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans, the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among individuals with both lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer and veteran identities is yet unknown. METHODS Participants were U.S. military veterans (N=14,461) from 18 states that included Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and adverse childhood experiences modules in the 2019 and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the odds of adverse childhood experiences reported by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans compared with those reported by non-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans. Analyses were conducted in 2023. RESULTS While accounting for sociodemographic factors, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans were more likely to report living with someone who experienced mental illness (AOR=2.17, 95% CI=1.35, 3.51), emotional abuse (AOR=1.58, 95% CI=1.11, 2.25), and sexual abuse (AOR=2.21, 95% CI=1.29, 3.76) than non-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans. CONCLUSIONS With past work indicating that childhood abuse experiences are especially predictive of adverse health in adulthood, these findings suggest that a higher prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer veterans may contribute to health disparities among this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter A Hahn
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - John R Blosnich
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
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Philbin MM, Wurtz HM, McCrimmon T, Kelly E, Homan P, Guta A. How social policies shape the health and well-being of sexual- and gender-minority youth: Pathways of influence, social side effects and implications for life course trajectories. Soc Sci Med 2023; 317:115624. [PMID: 36566607 PMCID: PMC9839642 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has documented the harmful health consequences of structural-level stigma that targets sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. In the case of sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), life trajectories are shaped not only by targeted, SGM-focused policies, but also by social policies more broadly which may have unique impacts on SGMY given their social position. However, little work has explored the pathways that connect both targeted and universal social policies and the health and well-being of SGMY. In this study, we conducted 68 qualitative interviews with SGMY in New York City (n = 30) and community stakeholders across the US (n = 38) and used the constant comparative method to identify the pathways through which social policies affect SGMY health and well-being. We propose three pathways that are shaped by specific inter-related social policies in ways that contribute to health inequities among SGMY: 1) access to social inclusion in educational settings; 2) housing-related regulations and subsequent (in)stability; and 3) access to material resources through labor market participation. We also highlight ways that SGMY, and organizations that support them, engage in agency and resistance to promote inclusion and wellbeing. Drawing on ecosocial theory, we demonstrate how policies work across multiple domains and levels to influence cycles of vulnerability and risk for SGMY. We close by discussing the implications of our findings for future research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan M Philbin
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Heather M Wurtz
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Tara McCrimmon
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Erin Kelly
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Patricia Homan
- Florida State University, Department of Sociology, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Adrian Guta
- University of Windsor, School of Social Work, Windsor,ON, Canada
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