Abstract
Suicide is the 15th leading cause of death among Black/African American individuals and remains a significant public health concern globally. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are known to be at elevated risk for suicidality compared to their heterosexual counterparts. While recent evidence shows increasing rates of suicidality among Black/African American populations, few studies have examined these trends using nationally representative data, particularly at the intersection of race and sexual orientation. This study analyzed data from 4,543 Black/African American respondents from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to assess risk factors associated with past-year suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts, with a focus on differences by sexual orientation. An estimated 3.70% of respondents reported past-year suicidal ideation, 1.27% reported planning, and 0.76% reported attempting suicide. Results indicated that Black/African American individuals identifying as bisexual had significantly higher risk across all suicidality outcomes. However, lesbian/gay Black/African American individuals did not significantly differ from their heterosexual peers in suicide planning or attempts. These findings underscore the importance of considering both racial and sexual identity when evaluating suicide risk and suggest the need for intersectional informed suicide prevention strategies, particularly for bisexual individuals within the Black/African American community.
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Recommended Citation
Yockey, Andrew; Hoopsick, Rachel; Clary, Kelly; Devier, Elise; Amis, Amber; Silva, Rowen; Brantley, Laurel; and Gobin, Robyn
(2025)
"Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts Among Black/African American Adults: Differences by Sexual Orientation 2023, USA,"
Health Behavior Research:
Vol. 8:
No.
3.
https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1319
