Suicidality and Sexual Orientation: Differences Between men and Women in a General Population-Based Sample From The Netherlands

This study assessed differences in lifetimes symptoms of suicidality between homosexual & heterosexual men & women, controlling for lifetime psychiatric morbidity. Data were collected on a representative sample of the Dutch population aged 18-64 years. Homosexual men differed from their heterosexual counterparts on all 4 suicidal symptoms & on the sum total of the 4 symptoms. Homosexual women only differed from heterosexual women on suicide contemplation. Controlling for psychiatry morbidity decreased the odds ratios, but among men all associations were still significant. Results suggest that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual women. In women, there was no such clear relationship. (53 refs.) JA