"I Just Want to be Acknowledged": Suicidal Ideation Experiences among Sexual Minority Students at a Religiously Affiliated University.

Abstract

Research finds that sexual minority university students experience considerable psychological and emotional distress. Furthermore, a recent study at Brigham Young University (BYU)-a university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-found that suicidality prevalence and severity were twice as high among sexual minority students compared to their heterosexual peers. To better understand this finding, we interviewed ten sexual minority students at BYU who reported clinically significant current or previous suicidality. A coding team and auditors then analyzed and categorized the transcripts of these interviews using the Consensual Qualitative Research methodology. Five domains emerged related to suicidality among sexual minority students: deterrents from suicidal ideation and intent; contributors to suicidal ideation and intent; religious and spiritual experiences; experiences with BYU; and suggested improvements. We found patterns consistent with previous literature, including relational and belonging factors contributing to suicidality; we also found that certain doctrinal interpretations were related to increased suicidality. The primary improvement requested by participants was feeling better understood and accepted (rather than ignored or marginalized). We discuss study limitations (including small sample size and low generalizability,), future directions for research, and implications for religious university campuses.