Higher Risk of Suicide, Self-harm Among LGB Students

Low self-esteem may explain the increased risk of self-harm and attempted suicide in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) students.

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) university students are at an increased risk of self-harm and attempting suicide than their heterosexual counterparts, said researchers.

The study also shows that low self-esteem may explain the increased //risk of self-harm in LGB students. Low self-esteem may result in LGB students who have faced discrimination or have struggled to accept or share their sexuality with others.

Overview Suicide
Suicide is an act of ending one's own life and it usually results from emotional isolations and inability to adjust and cope with one's environment.

‘LGB students at higher risk of self-harm, attempted suicide. ’

The study was carried out by a team at The University of Manchester, Leeds Beckett University, Lancaster University and Edith Cowan University in Australia, and is published in the Archives of Suicide Research.

Dr Elizabeth McDermott from Lancaster University said: "Young people's mental health is a national concern and this study confirms that lesbian, gay or bisexual young people have elevated rates of suicidality and self-harm compared with heterosexual youth. We know much less about how LGB young people seek help for their mental health problems, or what type of support would be effective."

Of the LGB students who completed an online questionnaire, 65% had carried out non suicidal self-harm over their lifetime compared to 41% of heterosexual students. Self-harm typically includes behaviour such as cutting, hair pulling, scratching, burning or non-lethal overdoses.

World Suicide Prevention Day: �Working Together to Prevent Suicide�
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on 10th September every year to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

And 35% of LGB students had attempted suicide in their lifetime compared to 14% of non-LGB students.

The study was completed by 707 students with an average age of 23 from two English Universities of which 119 self-identified as LGB.

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The study does not tell us, however, whether being at University increased the risk of self-harm in LGB people. It is not possible to compare the student sample with prevalence rates for non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts across the population as a whole.

Dr Taylor said: "Surprisingly, there is little data on the psychological mechanisms that might explain the association between being lesbian, gay or bisexual, and self-harm in UK students. This data highlights how low self-esteem may leave some LGB students more at risk. "Interestingly, anxiety and depressive symptoms did not appear to be important once self-esteem was taken into account.