Suicidality and Sexual Orientation: Differences Between Men and Women in a General Population-Based Sample From The Netherlands |
| |
Authors: | Ron de Graaf PhD Theo G M Sandfort PhD Margreet ten Have PhD |
| |
Institution: | (1) Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands;(2) HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, New York;(3) Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Da Costakade 45, 3521 VS Utrecht, The Netherlands |
| |
Abstract: | Homosexuality has been shown to be associated with suicidality and mental disorders. It is unclear whether homosexuality is
related to suicidality, independently of mental disorders. This study assessed differences in lifetime symptoms of suicidality
(death ideation, death wishes, suicide contemplation, and deliberate self-harm) between homosexual and heterosexual men and
women, controlling for lifetime psychiatric morbidity. Interaction effects of age and the role of perceived discrimination
were also examined. Data were collected on a representative sample of the Dutch population aged 18–64 years. Classification
as heterosexual or homosexual was based upon reported sexual behavior in the preceding year. Of those sexually active, 2.8%
of 2,878 men and 1.4% of 3,120 women had had same-sex partners. Homosexual men differed from their heterosexual counterparts
on all four suicide symptoms (OR ranging from 2.58 to 10.23, with higher ORs for more severe symptoms), and on the sum total of the four symptoms; homosexual women only differed from heterosexual women
on suicide contemplation (OR=2.12). Controlling for psychiatric morbidity decreased the ORs, but among men all associations were still significant; the
significance for suicide contemplation among women disappeared. Younger homosexuals were not at lower risk for suicidality
than older homosexuals in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts. Among homosexual men, perceived discrimination
was associated with suicidality. This study suggests that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding
homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual men. This relationship could not
only be attributed to their higher psychiatric morbidity. In women, there was no such clear relationship. |
| |
Keywords: | homosexuality suicidality epidemiology mental disorders general population study |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|