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Suicide continues to be the second-leading cause of death for all youths aged 15-24. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at a significantly higher risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors (STB). Establishing and understanding correlates of STB among LGBTQ youth is one important step toward enhancing prevention, intervention, and research efforts. To synthesize current knowledge on suicide among LGBTQ youth, the present meta-analyses offer results from 44 studies over the past 20 years. Two-hundred and thirty-four correlation coefficient effect sizes were calculated and categorized. To be included, the study had to quantitatively examine correlates of STB among LGBTQ youth. A number of social-science databases were used to examine the existing published research. Results illustrated the variability among correlates of STB as well as substantial limitations in the extant literature. There was a heterogeneity of effect sizes, a lack of novel correlates, a focus on risk, a dearth of theoretically driven designs, moderate publication bias, a paucity of developmentally driven analyses, and a dearth of research with transgender youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgender youth peer relations is understudied when compared to lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (LGB). Likewise, transgender youth of color (YOC) are also understudied given the difficulties associated with accessing the sample. This study examines the relations among peer victimization, school belonging, and mental health with an ethnically diverse sample of transgender adolescents (N = 4778). Invariance testing and structural equation modeling were employed to explore these relations as well as the potential moderating role of ethnic minority status. Findings demonstrate that an alarming number of transgender youth were exposed to victimization and that victimization predicted mental health issues like suicidal ideation. Furthermore, analyses showed that peer victimization was associated with diminished school belonging. School belonging was associated with better mental health and appeared to mediate the relation between victimization and mental health issues. Ethnic minority status did not moderate these associations. Implications for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth's experiences at school has largely focused on stigma, adversity, disparities, and peer victimization. Factors like school climate, individual differences, and social support have also garnered significant attention. However, there has been a dearth of research examining how they relate to both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Our goal was to bolster the extant literature by examining the protective role of parental support and psychological mechanisms like school belonging and self-compassion among LGBTQ youth struggling with peer victimization and suicidality. A cross-sectional study was completed with a sample of 934 LGBTQ high school students. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze direct and indirect effects. Peer victimization was positively associated with both forms of suicidality and negatively associated with school belonging and self-compassion. Psychological processes varied in their in prediction of suicidal ideation and attempts. Parental support did not moderate pathways between victimization and processes, but was associated with diminished suicidality and improved school belonging. Our findings illustrate the critical nature of further developing our understanding of the complexities of suicidality. School programs and interventions that are designed to cultivate belonging, self-compassion, and parental support may prove to be especially beneficial for victimized LGBTQ youth who struggle with suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]