Increasing trends found in suicidality and bullying across race and sexual identity

Compared with their heterosexual peers, thinking about suicide, attempting suicide, bullying in school and cyberbullying are happening at least double the rates among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents—with these trends increasing among Black LGB adolescents, according to Rutgers Health research.

“The Congressional Black Caucus recently rang the alarm on the fast-rising rates of suicide in Black youth communities through an emergency task force report,” said Devin English, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health and author of the study published in the Journal of Urban Health. “Our findings suggest that our response to this call should prioritize Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.”

English, along with a multidisciplinary group of academic and New York City Department of Health researchers, examined trends in suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and bullying among students across different racial and sexual identities by analyzing 2009–2019 NYC Youth Risk Behavior Survey data.

The NYC Youth Risk Behavior Survey collects a representative sample of adolescents attending public and charter schools throughout the city.

Researchers found LGB adolescents are significantly more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and attempts as well as face double the incidence of school bullying and cyberbullying.

Suicidal thoughts and attempts are two and five times higher, respectively, among LGB adolescents compared to their heterosexual peers. However, Black LGB adolescents were the only group within the LGB community to experience a rise in suicidal thoughts and attempts from 2009 to 2019.

In contrast, white LGB teens experienced a decline in rates of suicidal ideation and attempts over this period. These trends were accompanied by rising bullying rates for Black and Latina/o/x LGB adolescents but declining rates among white LGB adolescents.

Overall, study findings suggest bullying is linked to increased suicidal thoughts and attempts among all adolescents.

“Our findings ring the alarm on the emergency of increasing suicidality among Black LGB adolescents,” said English. “Critically, we found evidence that to reduce suicidality, we should address rising rates of bullying targeting these young people.”

English said future research is needed on intervention strategies that can prevent bullying affecting Black LGB adolescents and provide psychological support and empowerment for these youth.