The role of complex posttraumatic stress disorder in the associations between minority stressors and self-reported suicide likelihood in LGBTQ+ adults.

Authors

Ines Cano-Gonzalez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Ruby Charak, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Roman Ronzon-Tirado, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Jorge I. Cantu, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2023

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+) report higher rates of suicide-related behaviors when compared to heterosexual cisgender individuals. The minority stress theory proposes that the suicide risk disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals may be explained by the additional exposure to stressors unique to their minority sexual orientation and gender identity. However, less is known about the mechanism of minority stressors and suicide risk among trauma-exposed LGBTQ+ individuals. The present study aimed to explore the role of the International Classification of Diseases, version-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (disturbances in self-organization [DSO] + PTSD) in the associations between minority stressors and suicide intent in a sample of 229 trauma-exposed LGBTQ+ adults from Spain. Mediation analyses were conducted in Mplus 8.4 to test the impact of PTSD and DSO on the association between minority stressors and the self-reported likelihood of suicide intent. Results indicated that the cumulative daily cisheterosexist experiences had an impact on the likelihood of suicide intent through DSO. Specifically, gender expression-related harassment, and isolation due to sexual/gender identity increased the DSO symptoms, which, in turn, increased the likelihood of suicide behavior. Exploring minority stressors and targeting the components related to DSO, such as negative self-concept, affective dysregulation, and disturbances in relationships, may help clinicians in improving interventions aimed at reducing suicide-related behaviors in LGBTQ+ adults.

Comments

© American Psychological Association, 2023. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000488

Recommended Citation

Cano-Gonzalez, I., Charak, R., Ronzón-Tirado, R., & Cantu, J. I. (2023). The role of complex posttraumatic stress disorder in the associations between minority stressors and self-reported suicide likelihood in LGBTQ+ adults. Traumatology. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000488

Publication Title

Traumatology

DOI

10.1037/trm0000488