Suicide Research: Gay Men's Health

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Introduction

“There is not enough evidence for The Samaritans to say that being homosexual or bisexual puts someone at higher risk of suicide.”"

Key Facts: Sexuality and Suicide", The Samaritans, 20 Dec 1995

“ A strategic approach to suicide prevention has to be informed by drawing on, and developing, better information and evidence of what works.”

“Choose Life: A National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland”, Scottish Executive, 2003

This project is the first piece of research to be conducted into suicide-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours among young gay and bisexual men in Edinburgh.

Funded by NHS Scotland (formerly the Health Education Board for Scotland) through their Mental Health Week 2002 project grants, the research was jointly conducted by Gay Men’s Health and LGBT Youth Scotland (formerly Stonewall Youth Project).

We chose to investigate this subject as there was considerable anecdotal evidence of suicide-risk and self-harm amongst the young gay and bisexual men we worked with. However, the existing research into this subject had mainly been conducted in America or England (and we could not assume that the findings from these studies would generalise to Edinburgh) or were now significantly out of date (such as the Bell & Weinberg study from 1978).

We investigated suicidal thoughts, feelings and behaviours amongst one specific group: young gay and bisexual men in Edinburgh. We chose this group for a number of reasons: i) previous research had consistently suggested higher rates of suicidal thoughts, feelings and behaviours in gay and bisexual men, ii) it was a group we had easy access to through our work and iii) it is generally known and accepted that young men are at particular risk of suicide when compared to the general population. We defined young as under 26 years of age (the maximum age for attendance at LGBT Youth Scotland groups).

This report documents our research findings, and makes some recommendations for the future.

Last updated 14th July 2004

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Suicide Research

Contents

Introduction

Contents

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Suicide Research

Contents

Introduction

Contents

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