Initial Suicide-Related Disclosure Characteristics, Motivations, and Outcomes Based on Sexual Orientation

TL;DR

This study compares suicide-related disclosure experiences between bisexual and heterosexual individuals, highlighting differences in disclosure methods, motivations, and outcomes.

Contribution

The study provides novel insights into how sexual orientation influences initial suicide-related disclosure characteristics and help-seeking behaviors.

Findings

Bisexual individuals reported higher rates of suicidal behavior disclosure and greater use of online platforms.

Bisexual participants were more motivated to seek professional help and engage in post-disclosure help-seeking behaviors.

Help-seeking encouragement from disclosure recipients significantly predicted post-disclosure help-seeking engagement.

Abstract

Self-disclosure of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) is integral for risk assessment and intervention. However, limited research elucidates the nuanced characteristics of first disclosure experiences for bisexual individuals, who are disproportionately impacted by suicide yet remain underrepresented in the literature. This study examined the features, motivations, and outcomes of an initial STB disclosure among heterosexual and bisexual individuals.

Self-report data from 259 adults (Mage = 35.40 years; 35.09% bisexual) with a history of STB disclosure recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) were analyzed with univariate and non-parametric tests and binary logistic regression models.

Compared to heterosexuals, bisexual participants reported a higher prevalence of suicidal behavior disclosure, seeking formal disclosure recipients, and disclosing through online platforms. They were also more motivated to address physical safety concerns and obtain professional help and more frequently engaged in help-seeking behaviors post-disclosure. On average, both groups rated disclosure as helpful, with heterosexual individuals reporting it as more helpful. There was a significant main effect of help-seeking encouragement from recipients in predicting post-disclosure help-seeking engagement.

These findings underscore the necessity of considering the impact of sexual orientation differences in initial STB disclosure processes, which may set the benchmark for subsequent disclosure and help-seeking trajectories.