Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Sexual minority adolescents (SMA) experience suicidal ideation at a significantly higher rate than heterosexual peers; however, a model of suicidal ideation in this population that accounts for factors related to sexual identity development does not yet exist. The current study integrated tenets of the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) and minority stress theories by modeling the relationship between suicidal ideation and four sexual minority stressors at various levels of the social-ecological model (i.e., internalized homonegativity, family rejection, homonegative school climate, and religion-based stress). Additionally, the current study examined the moderating roles of two dimensions of sexual identity: identity centrality and identity management. Participants were 161 sexual minority adolescents ages 13 to 17 recruited from online communities built around shared sexual identities. Participating adolescents reported a wide range of sexual identities, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, and asexual. Results indicated that perceived burdensomeness, but not thwarted belongingness, mediated the association between each sexual minority stressor and suicidal ideation severity. The belief that one is a burden was associated with suicidal ideation at a similar magnitude regardless of whether the stressor was related to internalized stigma, the family system, the school environment, or the religious community. Further, identity centrality mitigated the effects of both internalized homonegativity and family rejection on suicidal ideation through perceived burdensomeness. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for suicide prevention and the measurement of identity-based stress in contemporary SMA populations.

Date

7-17-2026

Committee Chair

Hill, Ryan M.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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Available for download on Monday, July 16, 2029

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