Top Takeaways
Sexual and gender minority young adults face starkly elevated suicide risk. In this nationally representative U.S. sample of 18–29 year-olds, 64% of transgender/nonbinary and 51.7% of sexual minority young adults reported past-year suicidal ideation, compared with roughly 25–31% of their cisgender/heterosexual peers.
Sexual orientation was the single factor tied to every outcome we measured. Even after adjusting for age, race, income, education, region, and more, sexual minority young adults remained 2–5x more likely to report suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, suicide attempts, and self-harm. Sexual orientation was the only variable significantly linked to all four outcomes.
Gender minority young adults showed the sharpest risk for suicide attempts and self-harm. Transgender/nonbinary young adults had over 6x the odds of a past-year suicide attempt and 5x the odds of self-harm compared to cisgender peers, pointing to an urgent need for affirming, tailored suicide-prevention care for this population.
Abstract
This study assessed the prevalence and demographic differences in suicide-related outcomes with a focus on sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults. Data are from a 2021 nationally representative survey of young adults ages 18–29 (N = 1077). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, and self-harming behavior adjusting for U.S. region, urbanicity, employment status, income, education, and other factors. Overall, transgender/nonbinary young adults had substantially higher rates of all suicide-related outcomes compared to cisgender men and cisgender women. Sexual minority adults had increased odds for all suicide-related outcomes, even after controlling for region, urbanicity, and other factors. SGM young adults therefore remain at significantly higher risk of a range of suicide-related outcomes even after adjusting for demographic and regional factors. Culturally responsive suicide prevention strategies are needed to support SGM young adults.