Gay-related stress and suicide risk: Articulating three mediated pathways that increase risk for suicidality among sexual minority youth

The goal of this chapter is to describe and explain suicide risk among youth who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). We describe and operationalize sexual orientation as it is most commonly used in the adolescent health research literature. We review cross-sectional and longitudinal research that has examined suicidality disparities among LGB youth. We provide an overview of the minority stress hypothesis, an explanatory model that argues that gay-related stressors such as discrimination and violence victimization due to homophobia are the key driving mechanisms underlying health disparities among LGB individuals. We discuss the importance of using individual growth curve modeling and meditational modeling in order to understand the long-term course and driving mechanisms of LGB disparities. Lastly, we propose an expanded version of the minority stress model, by articulating three potential causal pathways between gay-related stressors and suicidality among LGB youth.