Anticipated discrimination and suicidal behaviors among Black gay and bisexual male adolescents: the moderating role of developmental assets.

Abstract

Background: Black gay and bisexual male adolescents (BGBMA) face disproportionately high rates of suicidal behaviors, shaped by intersecting racial and sexual minority stressors. Anticipated discrimination-a future-oriented minority stressor-may be an important yet understudied correlate of suicidality in this population. Guided by the Developmental Assets Framework, this study examined whether internal developmental assets (positive identity, positive values, social competencies) mitigate the association between anticipated discrimination and suicidal behaviors among BGBMA.

Methods: Data were drawn from 384 BGBMA aged 14-17 years residing in three Midwestern U.S. cities who completed an anonymous online Qualtrics survey between December 2023 and January 2024. Suicidal behaviors were assessed using a self-report adaptation of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Anticipated discrimination was measured with a nine-item subscale of the Intersectional Discrimination Index, and internal developmental assets were assessed with validated scales of positive identity, positive values, and social competencies. Linear regression models tested main effects of anticipated discrimination and internal assets on suicidal behaviors, followed by moderation analyses examining interaction terms between anticipated discrimination and each asset.

Results: Higher anticipated discrimination was significantly associated with greater suicidal behaviors (b = 0.46, p = 0.001). Positive identity (b = - 0.56, p < 0.001) and social competencies (b = - 0.78, p < 0.001) were each associated with lower suicidal behaviors. Two significant moderation effects emerged. Positive identity buffered the association between anticipated discrimination and suicidal behaviors (interaction b = - 0.23, p = 0.011); at high levels of positive identity, anticipated discrimination was no longer significantly associated with suicidal behaviors. In contrast, social competencies amplified the discrimination-suicidality association (interaction b = 0.49, p = 0.015), such that anticipated discrimination was most strongly related to suicidal behaviors at high levels of social competencies.

Conclusions: Anticipated discrimination is a robust correlate of suicidal behaviors among BGBMA. Internal developmental assets do not function uniformly: positive identity appears protective, whereas higher social competencies may confer vulnerability under conditions of anticipated discrimination. Findings underscore the need for developmentally and culturally grounded suicide prevention strategies that both strengthen identity-related assets and address discrimination-related stress in Black gay and bisexual male adolescents.