Mediation analyses showed that emotion regulation difficulties were associated with both PTSD and depressive symptoms rather than fitting a unidirectional model. These findings are consistent with and extend previous research and highlight the importance of emotion regulation in adolescent survivors of sexual abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record

Compared to heterosexual individuals, sexual minorities exhibit elevated risk for depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD). One psychosocial factor relevant to sexual minority mental health is outness, or the degree to which an individual discloses or conceals their sexual orientation. Previous findings are mixed regarding whether outness is associated with better or worse mental health, likely because outness can have positive consequences (e.g., social support) and negative consequences (e.g., discrimination). Support exists for both mechanisms, but previous studies have not simultaneously considered how outness may be related to mental health outcomes in different ways through social support versus discrimination. The present study examined: (a) the association between outness and depressive symptoms, (b) the association between outness and BPD symptoms, and (c) the indirect effects of outness on depressive/BPD symptoms through social support and discrimination. A total of 256 sexual minority participants completed an online or in-person survey. Greater outness was associated with lower depressive symptoms and BPD symptoms. There was an indirect effect of outness on depressive symptoms through social support, with greater outness being associated with greater social support and, in turn, lower depressive symptoms. Outness had an indirect effect on BPD symptoms through both social support and discrimination. Greater outness was associated with both greater social support and discrimination, with greater social support being associated with lower BPD symptoms, and greater discrimination with greater BPD symptoms. Outness may from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K08DA045575; PI: Brian A. Feinstein). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

Introduction: Despite high rates of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, the interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) has rarely been examined in this population. The current study utilized a longitudinal design to examine whether perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness independently and simultaneously predicted higher levels of suicidal ideation over time in a sample of LGBTQ+ youth who utilized crisis services. We also investigated whether gender identity moderated these associations.Methods: A total of 592 youth (12-24 years old) who had contacted a national crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth completed two assessments 1-month apart. Results: Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness independently predicted greater suicidal ideation 1 month later; however, only perceived burdensomeness remained prospectively associated with suicidal ideation when both factors were tested in the same model. Gender identity moderated the associations between IPTS factors and suicidal ideation, such that both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were associated with greater suicidal ideation 1 month later for sexual minority cisgender young women and transgender/genderqueer individuals, but not for sexual minority cisgender young men. Conclusion: The IPTS helps explain increases in suicidal ideation over time among LGBTQ+ youth and therefore can be used to inform suicide prevention and intervention approaches for this population.

Introduction Sexual minority young adults are at increased risk for suicidal ideation (SI) compared with heterosexual young adults. Though several frameworks exist to explain the development of suicide risk, including the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) and the Minority Stress Model, few studies have examined these frameworks simultaneously. This study examines these frameworks longitudinally among sexual minority young adults. Methods A total of 792 sexual minority young adults (50% bisexual+, 50% gay/lesbian) completed an online survey at baseline, one‐month follow‐up, and two‐month follow‐up assessing constructs related to IPTS, the minority stress model, and SI. Results Over half of our sample (52.9%) reported any SI at baseline. In the full sample, all types of minority stress at baseline were significantly associated with SI at two‐month follow‐up via perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB) at one‐month follow‐up. In the bisexual+ subsample, all bisexual‐specific minority stressors at baseline were significantly associated with SI at two‐month follow‐up via PB at one‐month follow‐up; internalized binegativity was also associated with SI via TB. However, effects became non‐significant when controlling for previous levels of the mediators and outcome variables. Conclusion Both minority stress and IPTS are relevant for understanding suicide risk among sexual minority young adults.

The current study examined the relation between sexual minority status, social support, emotion dysregulation, and suicide attempt in a community sample. A total of 388 community and college adults completed a one-time survey examining self-injury and suicidality. Findings demonstrated that that social support and emotion regulation, independently and in sequence, mediated the relation between sexual minority status and suicide attempt. The reverse mediation model with emotion regulation as the first mediator and social support as the second mediator was also significant. Social support and emotion regulation may both be related and may explain the relation between sexual minority status and suicide attempt. If replicated longitudinally, these findings shed light on specific risk factors and their interrelations, which may have important implications for preventing suicide in sexual minorities.