Citation

Blosnich JR, Bossarte RM, Silenzio VM. Am. J. Public Health 2012; 102(Suppl 1): S44-S47.

Affiliation

John R. Blosnich and Robert M. Bossarte are with the Veterans Integrated Services Network 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Canandaigua, NY, and Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Vincent M. B. Silenzio is with the Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester, Rochester.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2011.300565

PMID

22390600

Abstract

Suicide is a public health problem disproportionately associated with some demographic characteristics (e.g., sexual orientation, veteran status). Analyses of the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data revealed that more lesbian, gay, and bisexual (i.e., sexual minority) veterans reported suicidal ideation compared with heterosexual veterans. Decreased social and emotional support contributed to explaining the association between sexual minority status and suicidal ideation. More research is needed about suicide risk among sexual minority veterans; they might be a population for outreach and intervention by the Veterans Health Administration.

Language: en