MANHATTAN — NYU is launching a study into the epidemic of of suicide among gay youth that has claimed the lives of teens across the nation, the university announced Monday.
Researchers at NYU have recieved $2.8 million in funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to study suicide risks among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, who are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, according to data cited by LGBT suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project.
“Study after study has found higher rates of suicidal behaviors among LGBT youth than for their heterosexual peers,” the project's principal investigator, NYU applied psychology professor Arnold Grossman, said in the statement.
The study, which will be conducted in conjunction with the University of Arizona, will track more than 1,000 LGBT youth age 15 to 21 in three U.S. cities over a three-year period. The study will also examine psychological factors associated with suicide risk and seek out ways to lower that risk, according to a statement.
“Our emphasis will be comparing LGBT youth who do and do not experience any suicidal behaviors, which can include suicidal thoughts, threats, and even attempts,” University of Arizona family and consumer studies professor Stephen Russell, a co-investigator of the project, said in the statement.
“The knowledge we generate will allow us to more accurately assess LGBT youth at risk for suicidal behaviors … and reduce risk factors," Russell said.
The increased risk of suicide among gay teens became a rallying point for advocates, who launched the "It Gets Better" campaign in the wake of high-profile suicides like that of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after a roommate posted online video of him performing an intimate act.
The Trevor Project promoted an LGBT suicide prevention campaign called Talk to Me for National Suicide Prevention Week, which ran from Sept. 4 through Sept. 10.
"Sure, it's easier to text, poke, like, or chat. But, when you TALK to someone you get a sense of how they're really feeling," The Trevor Project's website reads.
"When a person has someone to talk to, they feel supported and are more likely to ask for help when they need it."
