Description

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and young adults are at a higher risk for suicide attempts compared to their heterosexual cisgender peers. Barriers to accessing mental health care and community resources (MHC+CR) may prevent SGM youth from addressing risk factors for suicide. A lack of social support may complicate overcoming barriers to MHC+CR. Given the paucity of research, the aim of the present study is to examine whether baseline levels of social support (instrumental, emotional, and informational) significantly predict the number of different system-related, minority stress-related/interpersonal, and intrapersonal barriers among SGM youth and young adults at risk for repeat suicide attempts enrolled in a patient navigation intervention. Methods: Data were collected from 40 SGM youth and young adults participating in a suicide prevention trial. Three types of perceived social support—instrumental, informational, and emotional— were measured using PROMIS instruments. Over a period of three months, three patient navigators recorded barriers to MCH+CR. Analyses used multivariate linear regression models (α = 0.05). Results: When controlling for the number of intervention sessions attended and individual age, baseline scores of instrumental, emotional, and informational support did not significantly predict the number of different system-related (b = .066 [p = .400], b = .083 [p = .524], and b = .084 [p = .224], respectively), minority stress-related/interpersonal (b = .077 [p = .510], b = .081 [p = .770], and b = .084 [p = .643], respectively), and intrapersonal barriers (b = .051 [p = .200], b = .055 [p = .992], and b = .057 [p = .434], respectively) reported during the intervention period. Discussion: This study found no relation between levels of perceived social support and reported number of different barriers to MHC+CR among SGM youth and young adults at risk for repeat suicide attempts. It may be possible that SGM youth and young adults who experience more barriers to MHC+CR receive support from others in general life domains, yet less specific help with overcoming MHC+CR barriers when concealing their SGM identity and/or mental health difficulties. Further research may examine the relationship between social support and MHC+CR barriers considering these factors.