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Description
Background: Research highlights that individuals from multiple-minority groups, such as LGBTQ people of color, often experience stigma-based bullying and discrimination, leading to adverse mental health outcomes. Protective factors, such as social support and school safety can help buffer these effects. This study explores the risk (enacted stigma) and protective factors of suicidal outcomes among South Asian LGBTQ youth in British Columbia, Canada.
Methods: Using data from the 2023 BC Adolescent Health Survey (BCAHS), we assessed enacted stigma, social supports, and suicidal outcomes among 4,364 South Asian youth from grades 7 to 12. Logistic regression models examined the relationship between risk and protective factors with suicidal outcomes.
Results: Suicidal ideation and attempts were significantly higher among South Asian LGB youth compared to South Asian heterosexual peer. Multivariate models showed stigma experiences significantly increased the odds of suicidal outcomes, except for LGB girls-suicidal attempt (suicidal ideation: girls:Het+:OR=3.7,LGB:OR=2.1; boys:Het+OR=3.7,LGB:OR=5.1; suicidal attempt: girls:Het+OR=3.9,LGB:OR=1.3; boys:Het+:OR=4.9,LGB: not reportable). School and family connectedness, along with school safety, were significant protective factors for suicidal outcomes (p<0.05). Family connectedness remained significant for LGB youth in multivariate models. Those who reported the highest levels of enacted stigma and no protective factors had high probabilities for suicidal outcomes (suicidal ideation: girls:Het+:45%,LGB:80%; boys:Het+:25%,LGB:83%; suicidal attempt: girls:Het+:13%,LGB:26%; boys:Het+:6%,LGB:50%), while youth with no stigma and all three protective factors had lower probability of suicidal outcomes, ranging from 0 to 4%.
Conclusion: The findings affirm the need for policies and programs that assist schools and families in supporting youth from multiple minority groups.
Keywords
stigma, youth, sexual minority, ethnic minority
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
|---|---|
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Quantitative method study |
