School-based protective factors related to suicide for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents

Background: The last two decades of research on lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents has revealed they are three times more likely to consider suicide than their heterosexual peers.1 While much of this literature has established the problem of higher rates of suicide as well as the risk factors for suicide, much less of this research has examined the protective factors. Purpose: With a focus on prevention, we aim to understand whether school-based protective factors (e.g., school anti-bullying policies, school-based health services, school connectedness) are associated with decreased suicidal ideation for this group of adolescents. Significance: There is a need to identify protective factors to prevent suicidal behaviors in this vulnerable population. This study adds to the emerging research identifying school-based protective factors related to suicide for LGB adolescents. Methodology: In a secondary analysis of the San Francisco Unified School District's 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey, we used logistic regression analysis to control for multiple independent variables, including risk and protective factors for LGB adolescents (n=263). Results: Results indicated that school connectedness was significantly related to reduced suicidal ideation, for LGB adolescents (p= .02; 95% C.I.= .52, .97). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed that LGB adolescents' sense of connection to school may serve a protective role for suicidal ideation. Schools' efforts to increase LGB students' sense of school connectedness may reduce suicidal ideation.