Family‐of‐origin rejection on suicidal ideation among a sexual minority sample

Abstract

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. Among sexual minority populations, suicide risk is elevated; this can be explained by minority stress. One such source of minority stress is family-of-origin rejection, a known risk factor for suicide among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents; however, less is known about this association among sexual minority adults. While navigating the intersection of minority stress theory and the interpersonal theory of suicide, this study sought to evaluate the impact of family-of-origin rejection distress on suicidal ideation among a sample of adults with marginalized sexual orientations. Recruited for two larger studies, 325 LGB participants (64.3% cisgender, 35.7% transgender or nonbinary) completed an online survey concerning minority stressors, depressive symptoms, and suicide. Using cross-sectional mediation analysis, family-of-origin rejection distress was indirectly associated with suicidal thoughts through depressive symptoms. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.