No call for help goes unanswered

Every year Central London Samaritans takes part in the London Pride Parade to raise awareness of our charity and show our support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The highlight of the event is the parade, which takes place through the bustling streets of Central London. Last year our volunteers were met with cheers, gratitude, and applause from the enthusiastic crowd as they marched proudly with our Samaritans placards. The parade serves as a powerful visual representation of unity and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

While celebrating the progress made in LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance, it is essential to acknowledge the persisting challenges and elevated risk of suicide and self-harm faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.

Statistics reveal that LGB individuals are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Gay and bisexual men face a significantly higher risk, being four times more likely to die by suicide. Transgender individuals also experience higher rates of self-harm and suicide, with studies indicating that they are at least twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to cisgender individuals.

Multiple factors contribute to the increased suicide risk among LGBTQ+ individuals:

• Mental health: LGB people are more likely to experience poor mental health (Chakraborty et al., 2011). Many trans people report poor mental health, with two-thirds of trans people (67%) having had depression and seven in ten (71%) having had anxiety in the last year (Bachmann & Gooch, 2018).
• Discrimination and hate crime: This may contribute to the higher incidence of suicide among LGB people (King et al., 2008) and among trans people (Davey et al., 2014, 2016; McNeil, 2017).
• Social support: Conflicts resulting from coming ‘out’ to others has been linked to suicidality among LGBT young people (Rivers et al., 2018). Suicidal thoughts/attempts may increase with age in the trans population, which has been linked to a lack of social support and loneliness, as these factors have been found to be associated with poor quality of life in trans people (Davey et al., 2014, 2016).
• Victimisation/bullying: Among LGB people who were victimised by peers at school, 40% reported that they had self-harmed or attempted suicide as a result (Rivers & Cowie, 2006).
• Gender dysphoria: Discomfort or distress caused by a difference between a person’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth has been found to be strongly linked to self-harm and suicidal thoughts/attempts (Marshall et al., 2015).
• Transition and access to gender services: Gender reassignment and social transition have been found to be protective factors against suicidal thoughts and attempts, but fears about transitioning, and challenges accessing gender services have been found to be correlated to suicidal thoughts and attempts among trans people (Bailey et al., 2014; McNeil et al., 2017). Suicide attempts have been found to increase during transition (Bailey et al., 2014; McNeil et al., 2017) and after transition trans people are still found to have higher rates of self-harm than cisgender people (Marshall et al., 2015). Timely access to interventions may serve as a protective factor (McNeil, 2017).

Positive social interactions, social support networks, and timely access to interventions serve as vital protective factors against suicide and self-harm among LGBTQ+ individuals. Creating safe spaces, promoting acceptance, and reducing discrimination are crucial for fostering positive mental health within the community.

The Pride event successfully brings together the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, offering a platform to celebrate diversity and advocate for acceptance. It is imperative to continue raising awareness, challenging discrimination, and promoting mental health initiatives that specifically address the unique struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.