Montrose Counseling Center - Articles

SUMMARY OF

RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED TO SUICIDE ATTEMPTS AND IDEATION
IN HOMOSEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN

STUDY PERFORMED AND REPORTED BY SOHELA S. HASSAN
MPH STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-HOUSTON
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
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FACULTY SPONSOR: MICHAEL ROSS, PH.D
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-HOUSTON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
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SUMMARY REPORT PREPARED BY BARBARA BECKER, MPH
AGENCY PRECEPTOR AT MONTROSE COUNSELING CENTER, HOUSTON, TX.

This project involved a case-control method to identify the common factors and predictive factors for suicide attempts among persons seeking services at Montrose Counseling Center (MCC) in Houston, TX. MCC is a non-profit community based outpatient mental health service provider which served approximately 1,600 clients in 1995. The closed case files of 255 clients who sought services from September 1994 to September 1995 were examined using a structured questionnaire. Data was collected from the self-administered intake assessment instrument which each client completes during the initial appointment at MCC.

A case is defined as someone who reported a suicide attempt at some point in their lives. A non-case is a person who reported no suicide attempts during their lives.

Sixty-four percent of the 255 subjects were male, thirty-three percent were female and three percent were transgender. Seventy-one percent identified as gay or lesbian, sixteen percent identified as bisexual, and twelve percent identified as heterosexual. The majority of service seekers identified as white, with an average age of 34 years. Almost 42% of the cases and 28% of the non-cases identified as being unemployed. Over half of the subjects had a steady relationship with someone, and 44% lived with a partner.

Forty-one percent of the subjects reported at least one suicide attempt. Of those reporting at least one attempt, almost one-third reported three or more attempts. The mean age of first attempt was 12 years of age. Ingestion of prescription or non-prescription drugs was used by 40% of the subjects. Self-laceration was used by almost 36% of the subjects. It was observed that cutting one's wrists occurred more often at younger ages. Firearms accounted for 10% of the attempts. Other methods included hanging and automobile crashes.

Thirty-eight percent of the cases and twenty-four percent of the non-cases had been treated for drug or alcohol abuse previously. The subjects who were treated for drug or alcohol abuse previously were 1.7 times more likely to attempt suicide (p<.01).

Regression analysis indicated that childhood sexual abuse (particularly if by the subject's father), a history of family violence, and a history of drug use by other family members were predictors of suicide attempts for this study group.