Association of Disability and Sexual Orientation with Suicidal Ideation
What is the name of the study?
Application of an intersectional framework to understanding the association of disability and sexual orientation with suicidal ideation among Oregon Teens
What was the goal of this study?
The goal of this study was to look at how disability and sexual orientation together relate to suicidal ideation.
What did we find?
Heterosexual (also known as straight) teenagers without a disability had the lowest risk of suicidal ideation. The people at the highest risk of suicidal ideation were LGB teens with disabilities. This was higher than both LGB teens without a disability and heterosexual teenagers with a disability.
What did we learn?
Being both LGB and disabled increases the risk of suicidal ideation beyond either identity by itself. When together, disability and minority sexual orientation may make it more likely that teens will be treated badly by others. Bad experiences could increase the risk of suicide.
Why is this important?
There are ways to make places where teens live, learn and interact with others better for LGB teens and disabled teens. For example, public health efforts and school-based interventions could help lower the risk of suicidal ideation. These could especially help teens who have both of those identities.
Who are the authors of the study?
César Higgins Tejera, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.,1 Willi Horner-Johnson, Ph.D.,1 and Elena M. Andresen, Ph.D.2
Authors are from OHSU: 1. Institute on Development and Disability, 2. OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Who participated in the study?
Key Words:
Sexual orientation: describes being sexually or romantically drawn to persons of the same, or different, sex or gender
LGB persons: lesbian, gay, or bisexual people
Suicidal ideation: wanting to take your own life or thinking about suicide
Article Citation
Higgins Tejera, C., Horner-Johnson, W., & Andresen, E. M. (2019). Application of an intersectional framework to understanding the association of disability and sexual orientation with suicidal ideation among Oregon Teens, Disability and Health Journal, 12(4), 557-563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.05.006
| Gender | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 47.7% | 59.1% | 62.3% | 69.7% |
| Male | 52.3% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 30.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White, non-Hispanics | 66.4% | 59.6% | 67.0% | 62.7% |
| Hispanics, & non-Whites | 33.6% | 40.4% | 33.0% | 37.3% |
| Family Affluence Scale | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 8.6% | 12.9% | 11.8% | 16.0% |
| Medium | 34.6% | 38.5% | 40.9% | 45.2% |
| High | 56.8% | 48.7% | 47.3% | 38.8% |
| Experiencing Abuse | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | 94.6% | 85.9% | 86.4% | 72.6% |
| Yes | 5.4% | 14.1% | 13.4% | 27.4% |
| Being Bullied | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | 86.0% | 69.5% | 70.7% | 48.7% |
| Yes | 14.0% | 30.5% | 29.3% | 51.3% |
| Unmet Mental Care Needs | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | 90.7% | 65.1% | 71.4% | 46.0% |
| Yes | 9.3% | 34.9% | 28.6% | 54.0% |
| Suicidal Ideation | No Disability/Straight (7,278 people) | Disability/Straight (2,191 people) | No Disability/LGB (429 people) | Disability/LGB (497 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | 91.4% | 72.4% | 72.7% | 43.7% |
| Yes | 8.6% | 27.6% | 27.3% | 56.3% |
For more details about study participants, please see the full text article.