Suicide Attempts Among Gay and Bisexual Men: Lifetime Prevalence and Antecedents

OBJECTIVES: We examined lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts and psychosocial correlates in a large population-based sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: A telephone probability sample of US urban MSM (n = 2881) were interviewed between November 1996 and February 1998. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent had made a suicide plan; 12% had attempted suicide (almost half of those 12% were multiple attempters). Most who attempted suicide made their first attempt before age 25. Although prevalence of parasuicide (i.e., attempted suicide) has remained constant across birth cohorts, mean age at initial attempts has declined. CONCLUSIONS: MSM are at elevated risk for suicide attempts, with such risk clustered earlier in life. Some risk factors were specific to being gay or bisexual in a hostile environment.