TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Self-harm and suicide attempts among incarcerated lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Australia
JO  - Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
A1  - Hail-Jares, Katie
A1  - Cumming, Craig
A1  - Young, Jesse T.
A1  - Borschmann, Rohan
A1  - Lennox, Nick
A1  - Kinner, Stuart A.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Guided by minority stress theory, we explored the association between sexual identity, justice system involvement, self-harm and suicide attempts, among a cohort of incarcerated adults in Australia. <br><br>METHODS: A sample of 2698 adults incarcerated in Queensland and Western Australia were surveyed between 1 August 2008 and 12 August 2016 about their current psychological distress, mental health diagnoses, contact with mental health services, and lifetime and recent self-harm and suicide attempts. We used multivariable logistic regression to explore the relationship between sexual orientation, prior criminal justice system involvement, mental health and demographic factors. <br><br>RESULTS: Five percent of the sample identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, with 37% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and other same-sex attracted individuals reporting that they had self-harmed (vs 14% of heterosexual peers; χ(2) = 52.4; p < 0.001) and 49% reporting a history of at least one suicide attempt (vs 23%; χ(2) = 49.2; p < 0.001). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and other same-sex attracted people were 2.1 times (95% confidence interval: [1.4, 3.3]) and 1.8 times (95% confidence interval: [1.2, 2.8]) more likely to report a history of self-harm and suicide attempt, respectively, than non-lesbian, gay, bisexual and other same-sex attracted respondents. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Intersectionality theory suggests that people who are navigating two or more marginalised identities often experience a compounding of internal and external stressors. Consistent with that theory, lesbian, gay, bisexual and other same-sex attracted people who experience incarceration may be at particularly high risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour. Custodial settings should both improve cultural competency for frontline staff working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and other same-sex attracted individuals and improve access to mental health services during incarceration.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0004-8674
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00048674221104744
ID  - ref1
ER  -