Symposia
LGBQT+
Raymond P. Tucker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Julie Cerel, PhD
Proffessor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Alix Aboussouan, BS
Graduate Student
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Annie Snow, PhD
Instructor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults endorse more historical suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) compared to their cisgender peers (James et al., 2016; Nock et al., 2008). Heightened exposure to suicide attempts (SA) and suicide deaths of others may in-turn create vulnerability for a TGD individual’s own suicide ideation (SI) and SA likelihood (Cerel et al., 2016). The current study is the first to investigate the relationship between suicide exposure (both SA and death) and recent STBs in TGD adults as well as determine if personal STB-related outcomes is related to suicide exposure of TGD versus cisgender peers.
Methods: Data were collected as part of the 2017 TransLifeline Mental Health Survey, a national online cross-sectional survey of N=2,784 self-identified TGD adults recruited via snowball sampling. Single-item self-report measures were used to assess SA and suicide death exposure of one or more individuals with which participants felt personally close. Past-year SI and SA were also assessed with single item measures. Chi-square analyses tested univariate relationships between suicide exposure type and STB correlate. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to determine if suicide exposure was related to past-year STBs above and beyond demographic and psychological correlates.
Results: SA exposure was positively related to both past-year SI and SA endorsement. Past year SI, but not SA, was more likely in those who were exposed to the SA of a TGD individual (69.9%) compared to those exposed to SA but not of a TGD individual (53.9%). Suicide death exposure was also related to increased endorsement of both past-year SI and SA. Past-year SI and SA were equally likely between those exposed and not exposed to the suicide of a TGD individual. In separate multinomial logistic regressions, both SA and suicide death exposure differentiated those with past-year SA from those with past-year SI but no past-year SA above and beyond demographic (e.g., age) and psychological correlates (e.g., history of non-suicidal self-injury and mental health diagnosis).
Conclusion: Both SA and suicide exposure appears to be related to increased incidence of recent SI and SA in TGD adults. Both types of suicide exposure, regardless of if the individual(s) were TGD, may facilitate the transition from suicidal thinking to suicidal behavior; however, prospective investigations are needed to substantiate this hypothesis.