Non-Suicidal Self-Injury & Suicidal Thoughts & Behaviors in Heterosexual & Sexual Minority Young Adults
OBJECTIVE:
Despite
consistently greater rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal
thoughts and behaviors (STBs; i.e., suicidal ideation, method/plan, and
attempts) in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals, prevalence,
characteristics, and relations between these dangerous thoughts and behaviors
are equivocal. The present study sought to examine and compare the rates of
NSSI and STBs in a large sample of sexual minority and majority young adults.
METHODS:
Participants
were 12,422 college students (ages 18-29; 57.3% female) who self-reported
demographic characteristics, NSSI frequency, the number of NSSI forms used, the
number of NSSI functions, as well as STB history (i.e., ideation, method/plan,
and attempts). Each participant's degree of SA was assessed via a 7-point scale
(i.e., K0-K6) from Alfred Kinsey's research of sexual attraction and sexual
experiences. This scale was collapsed to create five categories of SA:
exclusively other SA (K0), mostly other SA (K1/2), equally other and same SA
(K3), mostly same SA (K4/5), and exclusively same SA (K6).
RESULTS:
Consistent
with previous research, we found that being a sexual minority young adult was
associated with significantly higher odds of STBs compared to being a
heterosexual young adult. In addition, compared to the exclusively other SA
group (K0), being in the mostly other SA group (K1/2), equally other and same
SA group (K3), or mostly same SA group (K4/5) was associated with significantly
higher odds of NSSI engagement. Among those with NSSI, we found that the number
of NSSI forms was significantly associated with suicide attempts, but was not
associated with either suicidal ideation or suicide method/plan in the mostly
other SA group (K1/2) or in the equally other and same SA group (K3). We also
found a significant curvilinear relation between NSSI frequency and STBs in the
mostly other SA group (K1/2) and between NSSI frequency and suicide method/plan
and attempt in the exclusively other SA group (K0). In addition, we revealed
specificity with regard to the relation between the number of lifetime NSSI
episodes and risk for STBs among the equally other and same SA (K3), mostly
same SA (K4/5), and exclusively same SA (K6) groups.
CONCLUSION:
Our
findings suggest that among sexual minority young adults, equally other and
same SA individuals may be at higher risk of NSSI and STBs than their sexual
minority counterparts. In addition, these findings extend previous research by
suggesting that the relations between NSSI frequency, number of forms, and
number of functions and STBs might vary according to SA. A multi-theory based
explanation is provided to explain the key findings and the study implications
are discussed.
- 1Department of Psychology (https://www.binghamton.edu/psychology/), Binghamton University (SUNY), 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY 13902. Electronic address: atsypes1@binghamton.edu.
- 2Department of Psychology, St John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439.
- 3Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery, Cornell University, Beebe Hall, 110 Plantations Rd. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Human Development, Cornell University, G87 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- Compr Psychiatry. 2016 Feb;65:32-43. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.09.012. Epub 2015 Sep 30.
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