Suicide attempts are more common among homosexual as well as straight teens who live in politically conservative communities than those living in liberal communities, according to a study published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics on April 18.
The study surveyed about 30,000 high school students in 34 counties in Oregon to complete the Oregon Healthy Teens survey. The survey asked about the proportion of same-sex couples, the number of registered Democrats, the presence of LGBT groups in schools and school policies protecting LGBT students.
Conservative communities, according to the study, were those with few school programs advocating gay rights, few gay-straight alliance clubs and with few Democrats.
However the increases in suicide attempts in conservative counties were among teens that reported to not be depressed, bullied, or harassed in school.
Previous studies have shown that homosexual teens have a much higher suicide rate than straight teens with 20 percent of homosexual teens committing suicide compared to four percent of straight teens, according to the study.
Yet, homosexual teens were 20 percent more likely to attempt suicide in the more conservative, less gay-friendly communities than in more liberal counties, according to this study.
“In conservative societies it is more likely that homosexuality is associated with evilness which is a whole other level than just being ostracized as an outcast,” said Veronica Gross, a Boston University psychology professor.
After former BU Chancellor John Silber closed down the gay and lesbian support group at BU Academy, the public image of BU as a liberal and pro-gay community decreased, Gross said.
“Boston University is rather liberal but does not have a lot of prominent LGBTQ organizations,” Gross said. “It is accepting but not activist on this topic.”
Students claim that BU has the liberal and accepting environment the study shows decreases the amount of suicide attempts among homosexual teens.
“The way people feel about themselves and their likeliness to commit suicide has a lot to do with their surroundings,” said Quinn Bolte, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It is very accepting here from what I’ve seen and we really don’t need to do more.”
There is not much discrimination or harassment against the homosexual community at BU, said Jamie Wittenberg, a sophomore in CAS who volunteers at the Women’s Resource Center.
“I don’t think BU really needs to take more steps to become more liberal or accepting since there isn’t a problem on campus,” said Wittenberg.
This study is only the beginning of understanding factors affecting suicide attempts.
“I think suicide attempts are more due to the individual and their thoughts, beliefs, and place in society than as an effect of the type of society they live in,” Wittenberg said. “Of course communities can always take a stand against teasing and gender discrimination.”
“Unless we can raise teens in an environment that they don’t feel that they will be harassed we can’t truly see if homosexuality leads to suicide,” Gross said.
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