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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Ideation, Correlations With ‘Suicidality’ Research Paper

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Introduction

There are various sociological and psychological factors contributing to suicidal ideation among individuals; lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender groups. However, the strong correlation is not sufficient ground for any conclusive generalization. Other isolated and often episodic experiences and circumstances have been identified to independently yield suicidal ideation. In addition, many empirical studies have tended to rely on statistical deductions which carry manipulative biases. Generally, it is noteworthy that on a rational basis, suicidal ideation often arise from societal hatred and prejudice inflicted upon gay and lesbian youth. Suicide is a prominent leading cause of demise among the sexually maladjusted youth (Silenzio, et al, 2007). All youth are confronted with biological, social, cognitive, and affective changes within a cultural context. The gay and lesbian suffer the additional stigma associated with their maladjustment.

LGBT correlations with ‘suicidality’ ideation

Sexuality interacts with feeling bad in that, once men feel fairly bad or depressed, they are more prone to attempt suicide if they are homosexual or bisexual than if they are heterosexual. In addition, experience of verbal ill-treatment and physical assault (molestation) intensified feeling suicidal for both heterosexual and gay or bisexual men, not just for homosexual men alone as contained in many research findings, and that social isolation in the form of living alone is an additional risk factor. Seeking counseling intervention and taking sexual risks are also independently associated with feeling suicidal. These actions may be the aftermath of feeling suicidal rather than the reverse, and their association with feeling suicidal warrants further investigation. Celibacy per se and general risk taking are not connected to feeling suicidal. However, they are threats in the indirect pattern (Halpert, 2000).

The skewed generalizations have suffered political influences as seen in American society among a plethora of reasons. One possibility is that suicidality has been confused with affective disorders and illicit drug use. However, psychiatric disorders and illicit drug use do not always occur to tally higher among gay, lesbian and bisexual persons than in the general population (Russell, 2001). A large number of risk factors pertaining to suicide have been identified. Some of these, including social isolation, homelessness, interpersonal conflict, and psychiatric disorders, may be the same for homosexual and heterosexual men, while others, such as conflict over nonconformist sexuality, gender eccentricity, and over secretiveness of sexual orientation, may be exclusive to homosexual men, or may interact with factors common among the general populace (Remafedi, et al, 1998).

Homophobia is prevalent in the society and, in homosexual persons; it is internalized and manifested as dishonorable, hostility and self-hatred (Abelson et al, 2006). Consequently, homophobia motivates many of the factors associated with suicidality in homosexual men, including illegal drug use, depression, isolation and violence (Kara et al, 2001). From the viewpoint of Durkheim’s theory of suicide, society’s homophobia could present fertile ground for suicidality in homosexual men through lack of social support, a sense of alienation or estrangement from social norms, and the stress and negative emotion that these experiences would provoke (D’Augelli et al, 2005).

Celibacy, or level of sexual activity, is a relatively latest variable to be considered.(Kitts, 2005) This view posits that adult gay men who were celibate report more self-harming behaviors, suicide attempts and depression than sexually active gay men or heterosexual men. Moreover, age; educational status; economic status, (house ownership, earnings, nature of investments, and insurance); employment condition and occupation; sexual individuality; coping behaviors; attitudes towards physicians and health; life goals and purposes; methods of spending free time; exercise; body satisfaction; social interaction; self concepts; experiences of illness and death; sexual behavior; illicit drug use; risk activities; and, finally, emotions.

Those with great propensity to feel suicidal are youth who are not in employment, live solitary, have the commitment of making a difference or grand spiritual progress, but not the conventional expectations as of being a good father or a good partner, are not sports mad, have no experience of care for someone with AIDS, and could be HIV antibody positive. Insignificant correlations that are substantial to suicide ideation include the goals of financial safety, being successful, having fun, and getting rich. (Vincke, 2000).

Identifying as homosexual or bisexual exhibit the strongest association with feelings to attempt suicide. In addition, the experience of dreadful harassment, feeling unfit, unwise coping, seeking help with coping, body satisfaction, planning, illicit drug use, sexual risk taking, experience of death, spectator sport, socio-economic class, experience of illness, fitness activity, confiding in others, age, leisure-time spent with groups, number of people known who died of AIDS are other aggravating factors. Feeling suicidal has low correlation with active involvement in societal and political organizations.

The age factor is prominent contributor in the sense youth are more vulnerable to suicide ideation. Their level of social commitment is relatively low in society, social class is another contributor. Lower social class identities contribute to susceptibility; moreover, class-role expectation commitments might put individuals at grater risk of suicide ideation once the individuals perceive character-expectation conflicts. Levels of education of LGBT affect self confidence and schemas of reasoning underpinning suicidal ideation.

The individual’s sphere of social interaction and the level of satisfaction it confers to the individual have a contribution. The existence of confidants from which one is able to seek help or a rich audience with personal problems tends to limit suicidal ideation among LGBT individuals (Kitts, 2005). The participation in active sports avails opportunity for self exploration and reconciling individuals would-be stress sources and life tensions. Fitness improves posture and confidence to face daily challenges. The stigma of LGBT tends to erode that vital confidence level (Kulkin, 2000).

LGBT with considerable contact with AIDS patients in care, or deprivation as a result of the same often expand propensities. Extensive experience of illnesses, particularly, of terminal diseases promotes the propensity. Emotions variables about a particular individual entail their sense of value and worth within a societal construct. Good personal feelings among youth and young adult gay or lesbians lessen the chances of their suicidality ideation. On the contrary, bad feelings of deprivation and inferiority predispose lesbians as well as gay youth to suicide.

Anxiety attributable to the inferior self concept often yields prominent risk of isolation barricading appropriate socialization. Experience of harassment (being verbally abused or physically assaulted because of one’s looks, walking style, vocal pattern, etc.), especially in the form of homophobia, has formerly been found to be associated with ‘suicidality’(Lebson, 2002). Moreover, social separation, in the shape of separate living and inadequate leisure-time spent with others in social contact, increased the likelihood of feeling suicidal for both gay or bisexual and heterosexual men social isolation would seem to compound men’s despondency, irrespective of their sexuality.

Conclusion

There exists substantial correlation between suicidal ideation and LGBT identifiable in the literature. However, there are underlying factors for the correlation which function in a sociological construct among individuals. Sexual identity and feeling bad interact significantly and, as levels of feeling bad increase, homosexual men (both gay and bisexual) feel suicidal more hurriedly and at higher levels than heterosexual men in the same circumstances.

The universality of the findings can not be compounded since various cultures have different norm- personality morality schemes. This is due to the fact that social and cultural labels on behavior are not universal. Generally, studies of sexual minority youth and suicide fail to definitively sustain either the thesis that such youth are inherently at higher risk for suicide, or the thesis that they are more likely to complete a suicide attempt (Vincke, 2000).The cause enumerated have weak direct correlations, however, its noteworthy that LGBT as a prominent ideational factor of self conception contributes to the susceptibility of the respective victims. Human society defines deviance, ambition, achievement and humanity. LGBT being assigned a stigma, is henceforth publicly.

A role for social factors was implicated as the root of the problems faced by lesbian and gay youth, inclusive to this is the dishonor attached to homosexuality and the inflexibility of society to acknowledge the very existence of gay and lesbian youth (Lebson, 2002). Psychological Autopsies, a study in which the circumstances of the suicide victim’s life are reconstructed through interviews with associates and family may yield more concrete insight into suicide ideation than statistics gathered on a perceived potential population.

Bibliography

Abelson, J. S., Lambevski, J. C., Bartos, M. and Kippax, S. (2006). Factors associated with ‘Feeling Suicidal: The Role of Sexual Identity. Vol. 51, No, I. pp, 59-80; and: Current Issues in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health.

This source presents correlation within a study specific perspective of Melbourne; of LGBT and suicidality rich with insightful revelation. It lays ground for further research.

D’Augelli, A.,Vasey, J. J. et al. Predicting the Suicide attempts of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth suicide and Life threatening Behavior. ProQuest psychology Journals, Dec 2005; 35, 6; pg. 646.

This paper presents a comparative study of causes and correlations vital to the thesis of this paper. The elaborate grasp it has of the subject is invaluable.

Halpert S. C. (2000). Suicidal Behavior among Gay Male Youth. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Vol. 6(3).

This source is rich in statistical conceptualization of the subject of LGBT and juxtaposes refutations of mainstream findings against critical disapproving findings. It is useful as it blends dual conceptualizations, a basis of my paper, the source elaborates psychological perspective adequately concrete in empirical postulation. It has formed the backdrop of argument in this paper.

Kitts, R. L. (2005). Gay Teenagers and Suicide: Understanding the Relations in Adolescence. Proquest psychology, Journals; Vol. 40, 159; pg. 621.

The paper clearly presents a vivid argument for the correlations in the subject and presents individual cases adequately. It’s a pointer for more vigorous treatment of cases, for clinical as well as for academic reasons. It helped guide this discussion in breadth.

Kulkin, H., Percle, A. et al. (2000). Suicide among Gay and Lesbian Adolescents and Young Adults: A Review of the Literature Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 40(1).

This source basically exemplifies the ramifications for the risk afforded individuals based on accounts of literature. It enumerates societal motivated propensities to risk and furthers the conceptualization. It forms a critical basis upon which this discussion if founded.

Lebson, M. (2002). Suicide among Homosexual Youth. Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 42(4) University of Maryland: College Park.

The source is rich with multiple comparisons of various conceptualizations of LGBT and elaborates various bases of such views. It is absolutely rich in critique.

Remafedi, G., Simone F., Story, M. et al. (1998). The Association between Sexual Orientation and Suicide Risk: Results of a Population-Based Study. American journal of Public Health, Vol. 88, No. 1.

This source presents a population-based perspective and comparisons across demographic characteristics vital for the main thesis of this paper.

Russell, I. H. (2001). Suicide Risk and Adolescents Sexual Orientation: Evidence from a National Study. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 91, No.8 pp.1276- 1281.

This source strongly presents a nationalistic perspective on LGBT. However, it is statistically biased in perspective. It’s useful in presenting a holistic view within a historic discourse.

Silenzio V. M. B, Pena, J. B. et al, (2007). Sexuality, Risk factors for Suicide and Suicidal Ideation. Attempts Among Adolescents and Young Adults. American journal of Public Health, Vol. 97: No. 11 pp.

This research introduced a link that combines theory and practice. The source 2017- 2019 highlights useful conceptualization relevant for mainstream practice. It’s useful for this paper’s functionality.

Vincke C. & Heeringen, J.V., (2000). Suicide acts and ideation in Homosexual and Bisexual Young people: A study of Prevalence and Risk factors. Soc Psychiatr Epidemiol, Vol. 35 pp. 494- 499.

This source indicates the low correlation in the subjects of the study. In addition, it presents the indirect relations between LBGT and suicidality through broadly sociological and humanistic factors of personality.

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IvyPanda. 2021. "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Ideation, Correlations With ‘Suicidality’." October 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-ideation-correlations-with-suicidality/.

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IvyPanda. "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Ideation, Correlations With ‘Suicidality’." October 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-ideation-correlations-with-suicidality/.

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