Sexual Orientation–Related Differences in Alcohol Use and Suicide Death

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2844078?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8BxwHg3ZKbUXCSFXt-nTzwUD4OBtv8qI-A0np3L5Cxaf6_sKku7NpOAKLT21pMLojGiwOQu63Cna1eKyNR58bYt1r_NQ&_hsmi=399577210&utm_content=399577210&utm_source=hs_email Queer women have heightened risk of alcohol-related suicide Alcohol-related health problems have been increasing for decades in the U.S. But often overlooked is that LGBTQ+ people, particularly queer women, consume more alcohol than their straight peers. These populations also have higher rates of suicide. A study published Friday in JAMA Network Open used data from the National Violent Death Reporting System to analyze the intersection of these two health issues. Data on suicides from 2013 to 2021 showed that when lesbian, gay, and bisexual women died by suicide, their deaths were 38% more likely to involve alcohol use than straight women. There was not an increased risk for gay men compared to their straight counterparts. The study authors note that they weren’t able to analyze data on the deaths of transgender people, despite the population’s increased risk for both suicide and alcohol use. This isn’t because the Trump administration erased data on transgender identity from the database — which they did, study author Sarah McKetta confirmed to me over email. The researchers got access to the data before the Trump administration started. But even though there was a template for coroners or medical examiners to indicate if somebody was transgender, McKetta explained, there was no clear way to provide the person’s actual gender identity. By the numbers: America’s alcohol-related health problems are rising fast https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/27/alcohol-related-health-problems-rise/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Wy_7GYrfFblQIZMLn8I0WNsUJOsGqNgpQbqyiIj-1YgIAd6jLbtHDZIdJ1sWiPRonM6Z9zY5rllHbyD2GQLqhZXf2Eg&_hsmi=399577210&utm_content=399577210&utm_source=hs_email