The power of protective factors to mitigate LGBTQ+ suicide risk: Improving positive aspects of one's identity in a vacuum is not enough.

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to determine whether positive components of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and related (LGBTQ+) identity mitigate suicide risk. A sample of 260 LGBTQ+ participants completed assessments of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive LGBTQ+ identity (authenticity, community, self-awareness, intimacy, social justice), outness, and self-acceptance of sexuality. Bivariate analyses indicated that ACEs were positively associated with both suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA). Authenticity was negatively correlated with SI, whereas a sense of community negatively correlated with SA. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted with all variables of interest entered as independent variables and suicide continuum group as the dependent variable (SI, SA, and no history of SI or SA). Compared to those with no history, individuals in the SI group reported greater ACEs and psychosocial distress. Compared to the SI group, the SA group reported significantly greater ACEs (but not distress) and a lower sense of community. Surprisingly, they also reported greater authenticity. Adding the interaction term between community and authenticity significantly improved model fit. Examination of the interaction slopes indicated that the odds of reporting an SA decreased as both authenticity and community increased. These findings suggest that fostering a sense of community may mitigate suicide risk for LGBTQ+ individuals and that authenticity in the absence of community support may increase this risk. LGBTQ+ community engagement is likely an important avenue for suicide prevention efforts. Additional findings pertaining to social desirability are also discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).