Being a young and homosexual man exposes you to a pronounced risk of suicide. If the Inter-LGBT association had already warned that lesbian, gay and trans people commit suicide on average four times more than the rest of the population, a new study shows that this rate of suicide varies even within these sexual minorities. Social health researchers from the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London (United Kingdom) have indeed established that bisexual and homosexual men are more prone to suicide before the age of 26. Their research is published in the Journal of Public Health.
Seven times more likely to attempt suicide
The scientists looked at 5,799 men over the age of 16 living in England, Scotland and Wales who were sexually attracted to men. Through an online survey, they assessed mental health indicators such as depressionI’anxiety and self-destructive behaviors (self-harm and suicide attempts). Overall, mental malaise was common among these participants: 21% expressed depression and 17% anxiety. As for self-destruction, 6.5% had practiced self-mutilation during the last 12 months and 3% had made a suicide attempt during this same period. These criteria were particularly present in men under 26 and much rarer in those over 45: beyond this age, indicators of self-destructive behavior were seven times lower than in men under 26. year. Another striking fact noted by the researchers: the men in the study who live with their male partner express better mental health. The protective effect of this cohabitation is due, according to the researchers, to the benefit of the psycho-social support conferred by living together. This health benefit has already been shown among married couples.
Young men more victims of homophobia
But why is mental illness linked to age in homosexuals and bisexuals? On the one hand, young men are more often victims of discrimination: “our results are consistent with the fact that homosexual aggression and abuse are much more experienced by young people” emphasize the authors of the study. On the other hand, older men would have learned, over time, to better accept their sexual orientation and to better cope with homophobia. In conclusion of their study, the authors suggest that public policies must emphasize the fight against homophobic discrimination against the youngest men Age is not, however, the only factor to come into play in the inequalities of psychological ill-being among bisexual men and The researchers thus evoke ethnic origin, level of education, place of residence or even financial income.
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