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. 2014 Feb;104(2):279-86.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301508. Epub 2013 Dec 12.

Protective school climates and reduced risk for suicide ideation in sexual minority youths

Mark L Hatzenbuehler  1 , Michelle Birkett, Aimee Van Wagenen, Ilan H Meyer
Affiliations

Protective school climates and reduced risk for suicide ideation in sexual minority youths

Mark L Hatzenbuehler et al. Am J Public Health. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined whether sexual minority students living in states and cities with more protective school climates were at lower risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts.

Methods: Data on sexual orientation and past-year suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts were from the pooled 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Surveys from 8 states and cities. We derived data on school climates that protected sexual minority students (e.g., percentage of schools with safe spaces and Gay-Straight Alliances) from the 2010 School Health Profile Survey, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Results: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students living in states and cities with more protective school climates reported fewer past-year suicidal thoughts than those living in states and cities with less protective climates (lesbians and gays: odds ratio [OR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.47, 0.99; bisexuals: OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.99). Results were robust to adjustment for potential state-level confounders. Sexual orientation disparities in suicidal thoughts were nearly eliminated in states and cities with the most protective school climates.

Conclusions: School climates that protect sexual minority students may reduce their risk of suicidal thoughts.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Relationship between suicidal thoughts and protective school climates, by sexual orientation status: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Surveys, United States, 2005 and 2007. Note. LGBTQ = lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. The x-axis depicts protective school climates for sexual minority youths. Values represent standardized z scores for the 8 items from the School Health Profile Survey. A score of 0 indicates an average school climate across the 8 localities. Negative scores indicate school climates that are less protective for LGBTQ youths; conversely, positive scores indicate more protective school climates for LGBTQ youths. The figure depicts both raw values as well as the regression lines fit by sexual orientation groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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