Prevalence and Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation and Attempts Among Black LGBTQ+ Young Adults

Young people who hold both a Black and LGBTQ+ identity (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) are facing increasingly high levels of suicide risk. Very few studies have investigated risk factors that contribute to suicidality among Black LGBTQ+ young adults, many of whom live in the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. This study aims to investigate the risk factors that impact the Black LGBTQ+ young adult population.

Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey in North Carolina from June-October 2023. The analytic sample includes 361 Black LGBTQ+ young people aged 18-34 years, a developmental period where individuals transition out of adolescence and into adulthood. Analyses include descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression modeling predicting suicidal ideation and suicide attempts as outcomes using predictor variables from multiple domains (i.e., demographics, psychological disorders, substance use, exposure to discrimination and violence, and poverty).

About one-third of participants considered suicide at some point in their lives, and nearly one-fifth of participants attempted suicide. Results also show that food scarcity was associated with suicidal ideation. Among substances, alcohol consumption increased risk for suicidal ideations while cocaine/crack use increased risk for suicide attempts. Having a psychological disorder (i.e., depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, gender dysphoria, and eating disorder) increased risk for suicidal ideation and/or attempt. Implications for suicide prevention and future research are discussed.

Study limitations included convenience sampling, cross-sectional data, lack of variables unique to the population group, and measurement of lifetime suicidality.

Black LGBTQ+ young people report high rates of suicidality. Intervening to mitigate food scarcity, alcohol consumption, cocaine use, and mental health challenges may reduce suicidality among Black LGBTQ+ young people.