Better to be Dead Than gay? A Study of Suicidal Behaviour in a Sample of gay and Straight Males Aged 18-24

Previous research of gay youth has estimated the rate of attempted suicide at between 20-42%. This research has been criticized as being mostly uncontrolled & biased. The current study examined the rate of suicidal behaviour using a matched sample of 57 gay & 54 straight males, finding gay youth were 3.7 times more likely to attempt suicide. Correlates of suicide attempts within the gay subsample included sexual assault, experiences of violence, low levels of paternal support & precocious sexual identity development. (28 refs.)