Study: More teen suicide attempts in conservative Oregon
66 replies, posted
[quote]Suicide attempts by gay teens -- and even straight kids -- are more common in politically conservative areas where schools don't have programs supporting gay rights, a study involving nearly 32,000 Oregon high school students found.
Those factors raised the odds and were a substantial influence on suicide attempts even when known risk contributors like depression and being bullied were considered, said study author Mark Hatzenbuehler, a Columbia University psychologist and researcher.
The new study was published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
His study found a higher rate of suicide attempts even among kids who weren't bullied or depressed when they lived in counties less supportive of gays and with relatively few Democrats. A high proportion of Democrats was a measure used as a proxy for a more liberal environment.
The research focused only on the state of Oregon and created a social index to assess which outside factors might contribute to suicidal tendencies. Other teen health experts called it a powerful, novel way to evaluate a tragic social problem.
The study is based on 2006-08 surveys of 11th-graders that state health officials conducted in Oregon classrooms; Oregon voter registration statistics; Census data on same-sex couples; and public school policies on gays and bullying.
The researchers assessed proportions of Democrats versus Republicans; there were relatively few Independents. Information on non-voters wasn't examined.
The study relied on teens' self-reporting suicide attempts within the previous year. Roughly 20 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual teens said they had made an attempt, versus 4 percent of straight kids.
The study's social index rated counties on five measures: prevalence of same-sex couples; registered Democratic voters; liberal views; schools with gay-straight alliances; schools with policies against bullying gay students; and schools with antidiscrimination policies that included sexual orientation.
Gay, lesbian and bisexual teens living in counties with the lowest social index scores were 20 percent more likely to have attempted suicide than gays in counties with the highest index scores. Overall, about 25 percent of gay teens in low-scoring counties had attempted suicide, versus 20 percent of gay teens in high-scoring counties.
Among straight teens, suicide attempts were 9 percent more common in low-scoring counties. There were 1,584 total suicide attempts -- 304 of those among gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
"Is it surprising? No. Is it important? Yes," said Dr. Robert Blum of Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study "takes our relatively superficial knowledge and provides a bit more depth. Clearly, we need lots more understanding, but this is very much a step in the right direction," he said.
Blum serves on an Institute of Medicine committee that recently released a report urging more research on gay health issues. Blum said the new study is the kind of research the institute believes has been lacking. The independent group advises the government on health matters.
Previous research has found disproportionately high suicide rates in gay teens. One highly publicized case involved a Rutgers University freshman who jumped off a bridge last year after classmates recorded and broadcast the 18-year-old having sex with a man.
Hatzenbuehler said the results show that "environments that are good for gay youth are also healthy for heterosexual youth."
Zachary Toomay, a high school senior from Arroyo Grande, Calif., said the study "seems not only plausible, but it's true."
The star swimmer, 18, lives in a conservative, mostly Republican county. He's active in his school's gay-straight alliance, and said he'd never been depressed until last year when classmates "ostracized" him for being vocal about gay rights.
Toomay said signs of community intolerance, including bumper stickers opposing same-sex marriage, also made him feel down, and he sought guidance from a school counselor after contemplating suicide.
Funding for the study came from the National Institutes for Health and a center for gay research at the Fenway Institute, an independent Harvard-affiliated health care and research center.
Michael Resnick, a professor of adolescent mental health at the University of Minnesota's medical school, said the study "certainly affirms what we've come to understand about children and youth in general.
"They are both subtly and profoundly affected by what goes around them," he said, including the social climate and perceived support.[/quote]
Source: [url]http://www.kgw.com/news/Oregon-study-Gay-teen-suicide-attempts-more-prevelant-in-convervative-counties-120057614.html[/url]
What a shame, fucking homophobes.
They shouldn't have chosen to be gay :downs:.
The fuck...
Anyone surprised?
Fun fact: Oregon isn't conservative.
Then again, this was written by someone from Europe where the political terms are backwards of ours, so the mistake is almost pardonable.
[QUOTE=CatFodder;29275046]Anyone surprised?[/QUOTE]
besides conservatives?
probably not
This is just horribly upsetting. I don't understand how it's so hard for everyone to get along.
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275100]Fun fact: Oregon isn't conservative.
Then again, this was written by a European, so the mistake is almost pardonable.[/QUOTE]
learn to read please
[quote]Suicide attempts by gay teens -- and even straight kids -- are more common in [B]politically conservative areas[/B] where schools don't have programs supporting gay rights, a study involving nearly 32,000 Oregon high school students found.[/quote]
oregon may be predominantly liberal, but there are still plenty of conservative areas
What's even more sad about the situation is I bet all the intolerant jerk-offs are looking at these suicides as a god-send. I bet they love it.
It just makes me so sick how people can be so intolerant.
[QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;29274256]They shouldn't have chosen to be gay :downs:.[/QUOTE]
I like the dumbs, its a joke people. You know, something to go haha at.
But seriously this is not surprising.
[QUOTE=Master117;29275181]What's even more sad about the situation is I bet all the intolerant jerk-offs are looking at these suicides as a god-send. I bet they love it. [/QUOTE]
The Demon of Liberalism is making them do it
[QUOTE=JDK721;29275132]learn to read please
oregon may be predominantly liberal, but there are still plenty of conservative areas[/QUOTE]
I'm getting at your thread title.
Programs supporting "gay rights" - what does this have to do with anything? That hardly seems like it would have any affect.
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275527]I'm getting at your thread title.
Programs supporting "gay rights" - what does this have to do with anything? That hardly seems like it would have any affect.[/QUOTE]
It inversely correlates strongly with increased teenage suicides. Can't you read?
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275100]Fun fact: Oregon isn't conservative.
Then again, this was written by someone from Europe where the political terms are backwards of ours, so the mistake is almost pardonable.[/QUOTE]
Let's generalize even more areas!
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275100]Fun fact: Oregon isn't conservative.
Then again, this was written by someone from Europe where the political terms are backwards of ours, so the mistake is almost pardonable.[/QUOTE]
everyone west of the atlantic is dumb!!
see i can do it too
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275527]I'm getting at your thread title.
Programs supporting "gay rights" - what does this have to do with anything? That hardly seems like it would have any affect.[/QUOTE]
I love how you put gay rights in quotation marks
Condescending ass
Does this news actually surprise anyone, though? It's to be expected.
So, living in a more conservative area makes you more likely to try and kill yourself.
Even if you're straight.
...
So, [i]why[/i] do people vote Republican, again?
[QUOTE=Rolond Returns;29276261]:frog:[/QUOTE]
I'm being facetious
don't get your boxers in a bunch
Poor kids.
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275527]I'm getting at your thread title.[/QUOTE]
yeah the thread title is the same as the news articles'. I tried to change it to clarify it after posting, but it wouldn't let me
You can always ask a mod JDK.
The thread title is grammatically fine as it's talking about conservative Oregon as opposed to liberal Oregon
"conservative areas of Oregon" would be unnecessary and redundant
I have no problem with this.
[QUOTE=**Chris**;29277620]I have no problem with this.[/QUOTE]
:frog:
Though sad, its really not suprising.
Also I live in Oregon
cool right :downs:
[QUOTE=Jenkem;29275527]I'm getting at your thread title.
Programs supporting "gay rights" - what does this have to do with anything? That hardly seems like it would have any affect.[/QUOTE]
yeah how would protecting gay people from harassment help decrease the number of suicides by gay people who have been harassed?
also how do forks work and what is the difference between a vegetable and a fruit? someone answer these difficult questions for me
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