Did the passing of Marriage Equality legislation in the United States have an affect on not only adults LGBTers looking to tie the knot, but as well teens looking for hope and inspiration? A recent study examined the passing of same-sex marriage legislation, not at the SCOTUS level, but at the state level and its possible affect on the health of our youth.
Hope is hope and the fact that one's future has more possibilities for happiness definitely did affect teen suicide attempts in the United States. A declined in attempts after same-sex marriage became legal was evident and the biggest impact was among LGBT kids.
The Supreme Court ruling was an emotional time in the U.S, but this study by the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the decline of suicide attempts in states that allowed LGBTers to marry before the SCOTUS ruling made Marriage Equality legal from sea to sea.
Is there a direct correlation? Could researchers make a connection between new laws and a lessening of suicide attempts? No, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
This study, Difference-in-Differences Analysis of the Association Between State Same-Sex Marriage Policies and Adolescent Suicide Attempts, is significant since suicide is the second-leading cause of death for all U.S. teens and much more common for LGBTers. Six percent of straight teens have reported attempting suicide where as 29 percent of LGBTers have admitted the same. This study looked at suicide attempts and not suicides.
As laws sweep across the land and bettered the lives of adult gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexuals, LGBTers as a whole may be seen as more part of society and may lessen the bullying that goes on toward our youth.
Suicide attempts dropped 7 percent for all students and 14 percent for LGB students after same-sex marriage laws were passed in 32 states. As for the states that did not allow marriage equality? There was no change in the percents.
For more on the 6 year study (1999-2015) and the 700k plus public high school students who participated (230k said they were LGB), seek out further facts at JAMA Pediatrics.
What do you think of these results?
Unfortunately, we also have these results, Calls To Transgender Suicide Hotline Spike In Wake Of Trump’s Election.
h/t: JAMA Pediatrics