Closeted teenagers are twice as likely to attempt suicide, according to new study

A new study from the CDC researching “sexual orientation discordance” has found closeted teenagers are far likelier to attempt suicide than their out counterparts. Sexual orientation discordance is when a person’s internal sexual desires don’t match their outward actions. The CDC specifically looked at teenagers who identified as gay but had sex with either both sexes or only the opposite sex, and teenagers who identified as straight but had sex with the same sex or both sexes.

Of all the students surveyed 4 percent said they had experienced sexual discordance, while for gay students that number jumped to 32 percent – and for straight students, it was just 3 percent. 46 percent of those then said they had suicidal thoughts or had attempted suicide.

Francis Annor of the CDC concluded that “discrimination, stigma, prejudice, rejection, and societal norms may put pressure on sexual minorities to present a sexual identity inconsistent with their true sexual identity or to act in a manner inconsistent with their sexual identity. “Understanding… the challenges that adolescents experiencing discordance may encounter will help strengthen overall suicide prevention approaches in youth.”

Tim Gibson - mygwork

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