Suicidality, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity: Results from a U.S. representative adolescent sample

Objective: We examined sadness/hopelessness and suicide among racial/ethnic and sexual minority youth (SMY). Methods: 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data on sadness/hopelessness and suicide were analyzed among White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino youth. Results: A main effect of sexual minority (SM) identity emerged for sadness/hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicide plan, suicide attempts, and injurious attempts; SMY reported increased risk compared to their heterosexual peers. An interaction between Black race and SM identity emerged for sadness/hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide plan; White SMY were at greater risk than Black SMY. A main effect of Black race on suicide attempts was found; Black youth reported increased risk of suicide attempts compared to White youth. Conclusions: Black SMY exhibited lower risk of sadness/hopelessness, suicide ideation, and suicide plans than their White SMY peers, whereas Black youth overall were more likely to report suicide attempts than their White peers.