Title
Stigma and Suicide Risk Among the LGBTQ Population: Are Anxiety and Depression to Blame and Can Connectedness to the LGBTQ Community Help?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-8-2019
Description
LGBTQ individuals may be at risk for suicidal behavior due to perceived stigma and psychopathology. However, protective factors, such as community connectedness, may reduce risk. We examined depression and anxiety as mediators of the linkage between perceived stigma and suicidal behavior, and the moderating role of LGBTQ community connectedness. Among our sample of LGBTQ persons (N = 496), psychopathology mediated the association between perceived stigma and suicidal behavior. Connectedness moderated the relation between perceived stigma and depression, and between perceived stigma and suicidal behavior in the anxiety model. Therapeutically addressing stigma and promoting LGBTQ community connectedness may reduce risk for suicidal behavior.
Citation Information
Kaniuka, Andrea; Pugh, Kelley C.; Jordan, Megan; Brooks, Byron; Dodd, Julia; Mann, Abbey K.; Williams, Stacey L.; and Hirsch, Jameson. 2019. Stigma and Suicide Risk Among the LGBTQ Population: Are Anxiety and Depression to Blame and Can Connectedness to the LGBTQ Community Help?. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health. Vol.23(2). 205-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2018.1560385 ISSN: 1935-9705