More misleading statistics about gay youth suicides

Earlier this week researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics that the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the United States helped to reduce the number of suicide attempts amongst teenagers by 134,000 a year.

The news was published widely under headlines like “How same-sex marriage laws may save teens’ lives”.

“Permitting same-sex marriage reduces structural stigma associated with sexual orientation,” said study leader Julia Raifman, of Johns Hopkins University. There may be something about having equal rights – even if they have no immediate plans to take advantage of them – that makes students feel less stigmatized and more hopeful for the future.”

So the message is that to save the lives of teenagers, we need to be more accepting of “sexual minorities”. When we reduce stigma, we reduce their temptation to attempt suicide.

And changing the law on same-sex marriage may not be enough. Laws on bullying probably need to be tightened up along with other forms of perceived discrimination and stigma.

Suicide is the second most common cause of death among Americans aged between 15 and 24, after accidents. The rates of suicide attempts requiring medical attention among adolescents increased 47 percent between 2009 and 2015. Gay, lesbian and bisexual high school students are at particular risk. In the new study, 29 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual high school students reported attempting suicide in the previous year as compared to six percent of heterosexual teens.

But do the statistics tell the whole story?

Read here