LGBTIQ+ Australians: suicidal thoughts and behaviours and self-harm Print this page

LGBTIQ+ communities have been identified as priority populations under The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (Cth of Australia, 2022) and for data development as part of the National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System. Under the agreement, governments have a responsibility to support priority populations, who may be at higher risk of mental ill health and suicide due to vulnerability caused by social, economic, and environmental circumstances.

Data on suicide and self-harm among LGBTQ+ people from the Private Lives 3 and Writing Themselves In 4 surveys

The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University runs Australia’s two largest targeted surveys of LGBTQ+ adults and LGBTQA+ young people, the Private Lives and Writing Themselves In surveys, respectively (Hill et al. 2020, 2021). The most recent iterations of these surveys, Private Lives 3 (PL3) and Writing Themselves In 4 (WTI4) were undertaken in 2019. The PL3 and WTI4 datasets are the largest and most comprehensive available for the LGBTQ+ population in Australia and include a diverse sample of participants from all states and territories and demographic groups (Hill et al. 2020, 2021).

ARCSHS has provided the AIHW with existing data on suicide and self-harm from PL3 and WTI4, aggregated by state/territory, age-group, gender and sexual orientation. In addition, the AIHW has engaged ARCSHS to undertake secondary analysis of the data from PL3 and WTI4, including:

• Types of gender affirmation accessed by trans and gender diverse adults and association with health and wellbeing outcomes (PL3).
• Types of gender affirmation accessed by trans and gender diverse young people and association with mental health outcomes and suicidality (WTI4).
• The role of relationship status and gender of relationship partner in shaping health and wellbeing outcomes among multigender attracted (bisexual+) adults (PL3).

Data on suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt among LGBTQ+ adults from the PL3 survey and LGBTQA+ young people from the WTI4 survey are presented in the following sections. This is the second tranche of data from PL3 and WTI4 to be published on the AIHW Suicide and self-harm monitoring website. The results of the secondary analysis of PL3 and WTI4 will be published in 2024.

The findings of PL3 and WTI4 are consistent with evidence from Australia and overseas, which indicate that LGBTIQ+ communities experience higher levels of mental ill health, suicidality and self-harm, compared with the general population (Hill et al. 2020, 2021, Marchi et al. 2022, Swannell et al. 2016, Zwickl et al. 2021). Within the LGBTQ+ research, trans and gender diverse participants appear to experience a greater risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, compared with cis-gendered participants. For instance, among PL3 participants:

• The lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts ranged from 64% among cisgender men to 90% among non-binary participants and 91% among trans men.
• More than half of trans men reported having attempted suicide in their lifetimes (53%), in contrast to around one-fifth of cisgender men (22%).

Other Australian studies of trans people have found that a large proportion of participants (ranging from 43 to 48%) have attempted to take their own lives at some point (Zwickl et al. 2021, Bretherton et al. 2021, Strauss et al. 2017).

A limitation of PL3, WTI4 and other targeted, community surveys of LGBTQ+ people is that they tend not to be based on probability sampling and, as a result, it is not possible to conclude that they provide representative data for the LGBTQ+ population. However, these surveys do provide important information about the survey respondents, which can inform the work of LGBTQ+ researchers and advocates, and policy makers.

What other national suicide and self-harm data are available for LGBTIQ+ communities in Australia?

There are currently no reliable national data on rates of suicide and self-harm among LGBTIQ+ communities in Australia. The two key administrative datasets used by the AIHW to report on rates of suicide and hospitalised self-harm, the National Mortality Database (NMD) and the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) do not include information on LGBTIQ+ status. LGBTIQ+ status is not available in any national linked administrative datasets and has not been enumerated in the Census of Population and Housing. Data gaps could be improved by the broader inclusion of the Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 (ABS 2020) in national collections.

State and territory suicide registers include variables on sexual orientation and gender, however, LGBTIQ+ status tends to be underreported in these surveillance systems (CCOV 2022, Leske et al. 2022). To date, the Victorian Suicide Register (VSR) and the Queensland Suicide Register (QSR) are the only state suicide registers to publish data on suicide deaths among LGBTIQ+ people. In each state, the numbers are too small to disaggregate by gender and sexual orientation (CCOV 2022, Leske et al. 2022).

The population representative, National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–22), conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collected information on suicidality and self-harm and was the first ABS collection to use the Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 (ABS 2020, 2020–22b).  The summary statistics for the study were published by the ABS on 5 October 2023 and include results for lived experience of suicide and self-harm by sex at birth (male/female) (ABS 2020–22a), see Australian prevalence estimates of suicidal behaviour. Data were collected from people whose sex at birth was recorded as something other than male or female, however the sample size was too small to report separately on this group. The data for these people are included in the results for total persons but not in the male or female categories (ABS 2020–22b). The AIHW is investigating whether further disaggregation of the suicide and self-harm data by gender (Cis, Trans and gender diverse) and sexual orientation (Heterosexual, Gay, or Lesbian, Bisexual and Different term) is possible. 

Prevalence of suicidal behaviour and thoughts among LGBTQ+ adults – data from the 2019 Private Lives 3 (PL3) survey

PL3 is the third iteration of national surveys investigating the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and queer (LGBTQ) adults in Australia. The PL3 survey is managed by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University in Melbourne and was developed by ARCSHS in consultation with an Expert Advisory Group comprising representatives from the states and territories and LGBTIQ+ groups. The sample was recruited via paid advertising on social media and promotion through relevant professional networks and LGBTIQ+ organisations. The survey was open to people aged 18 years and over, from 24 July 2019 until 1 October 2019 and could be completed online or in paper form if requested. A sample of 6,835 participants was achieved, whose ages ranged from 18–88 years. The PL3 survey included questions on suicide attempt and suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months and lifetime. For more information, view the PL3 national report.

People with an intersex variation/s were specifically targeted for participation in PL3 but the sample achieved (n=47) was too small to provide statistically meaningful comparisons. Therefore, data for participants with an intersex variation/s are not reported as a separate group and the acronym ‘LGBTQ+’ is used when discussing the PL3 results below. The data for PL3 participants who reported having intersex variation/s are included in the other categories presented, according to their responses to gender and sexual orientation questions. View the PL3 national report for more information about participants with an intersex variation/s.

The PL3 results relating to suicide attempt and suicidal thoughts are depicted in the visualisations below. As PL3 uses a non-probability convenience sample, the results may not be representative of the Australian LGBTQ+ population and cannot be generalised to this population group. However, they provide valuable insights into the experiences of close to 7000 people from this population group and highlight where further work is needed to obtain better data and improve outcomes for at-risk communities. Importantly, the PL3 sample allows for disaggregation of data by gender and sexual orientation, which illustrates the wide variations in experiences of suicidal thoughts and behaviours between the different gender and sexual orientation groups in the sample. These results are consistent with other studies that show considerable variation in the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours between sub-groups under the LGBTQ+ umbrella (e.g. Kirakosian et al. 2023, Marchi et al. 2022, Stinchcombe & Hammond 2021, Swannell et al. 2016).

The results of PL3 are not directly comparable with those for the general population from national population surveys, such as the ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–21) and the ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2007). The ABS surveys used probability sample designs as well as different recruitment methods, instruments, and modes of administration (see ABS 2020–21b for information on methodology). Both types of survey designs have limitations regarding sampling LGBTQ+ communities. Targeted surveys, such as PL3, may be biased towards people with stronger attachment to the LGBTQ+ community, while population surveys may underrepresent LGBTIQ+ people (Hottes et al. 2016) and obtain insufficient samples to report results by gender and sexual orientation. A meta-analysis of lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people by Hottes et al. (2016) found that targeted community surveys reported higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempt among LGB people, compared with results for LGB people from population surveys. Even so, LGB people reported higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempt compared with heterosexual people, regardless of the survey type (Hottes et al. 2016).

In relation to the PL3 data, the term 'suicidal thoughts' is being used rather than 'suicidal ideation'. This is because suicidal ideation is defined in national population data as 'serious thoughts about taking one’s own life', whereas the PL3 data item is 'thoughts about suicide, wanting to die, or about ending your life'.

As the PL3 was a voluntary online survey, participants could leave questions blank if they wished. In these cases, the PL3 results reported below are the proportions (percentages) of those who answered the relevant question.

Suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts among PL3 participants

The visualisation includes PL3 data for suicidal thoughts and attempts broken down by sexual orientation, gender, state and territory of residence, or age group.

Suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBTQA+ PL3 (2019) participants by personal characteristics

Nationally, around three-quarters (75%) of PL3 participants had experienced suicidal thoughts and around one third (30%) reported attempting suicide in their lifetimes.

Results by sexual orientation

The results for sexual orientation differed across response categories, apart from gay respondents, who were least likely to have experienced suicidal thoughts or attempt, recent (last 12 months) or in their lifetimes.

• Pansexual and queer participants reported the highest prevalence of lifetime suicidal thoughts (88% and 87%, respectively), followed by bisexual and asexual participants (88.4% and 87.1%, respectively), followed by bisexual and asexual participants (79.7% and 79.2% respectively), participants categorised as “something else” (75.3%), lesbian participants (73.0%) and gay participants (63.3%).
• A similar pattern was seen for recent suicidal thoughts, reported by 54.7% of queer participants, 54.6% of pansexual participants, 49.1% of bisexual participants, 44.9% of respondents categorised as “something else”, 43.4% of asexual participants, 36.8% of lesbian participants and 30.7% of gay participants.
• Nearly half (46.7%) of pansexual participants reported having attempted suicide in their lifetimes, followed by queer participants (37.1%), “something else” (34.3%), bisexual (31.5%), lesbian (30.1%), asexual (27.0%) and gay (20.5%) participants.
• Participants in the “something else” sexual orientation category were most likely to report recent suicide attempt (9.6% of this group), followed by pansexual (7.8%), bisexual (6.0%), queer (5.1%), asexual and lesbian (4.1%) and gay (3.3%) participants.

There is limited research that includes the sexual orientations “pansexual”, “queer” and “asexual” as specific groups with which to compare these results. Studies that have included lesbian, gay and bisexual people as separate groups have generally reported higher levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviour among bisexual and multi-gender attracted people, compared with gay and lesbian people (e.g. Stinchcombe & Hammond 2020, Marchi et al. 2022).

Results by gender

When disaggregated by gender, the results show that trans (trans man and trans woman) and non-binary participants were more likely to have experienced recent (last 12 months) and lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, compared with cisgendered participants (cisgender man and cisgender woman).

• Lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts among PL3 participants ranged from 64.2% of cisgender men to 89.9% of non-binary participants and 90.6% of trans men.
• More than half of trans men reported having attempted suicide in their lifetimes (52.9%), compared with around one fifth of cisgender men (22.3%).

The high levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviour among trans participants are consistent with other studies of trans people in Australia. A 2017–2018 survey of Australian trans adults found that 43% of participants had attempted suicide in their lifetimes (Zwickl et al. 2021, Bretherton et al. 2021). The 2016 Trans Pathways survey of Australian trans young people aged 14–25 years reported that 48.1% of participants had ever attempted suicide (Strauss et al. 2017).

Results by age group

The results for age group show a clear gradient by age, with younger age groups more likely to report lifetime and recent (last 12 months) experience of suicidal thoughts and lifetime suicide attempt.

• Lifetime experience of suicidal thoughts ranged from around half of people aged 65 years and over (50.7%) to 79.6% of people in the 18–24 and 25–34-year age groups.
• Lifetime suicide attempt ranged from 17.5% of people aged 65 years and over to 34.0% of 18–24-year-olds.
• Recent suicide attempt was most likely among participants aged 18–24 years (9.8%), followed by participants aged 35–44 years (4.5%), then those aged 25–34 (3.1%), 45–54 years (2.0%), 55–64 years (1.2%) and over 65 years (0%).

The decline in recent suicidal thoughts and attempts with increasing age is consistent with other studies with trans participants (Zwickl et al 2023). This pattern is also observed with the general population results from the ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–22), which show prevalence of lifetime and recent suicidal ideation and suicide attempt is highest among the youngest age group (16–34 years) and decreases with increasing age (ABS 2020–22a). Ambulance data from the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS) also show higher rates of attendances for suicidal ideation and attempt among younger age groups.

The PL3 results for younger people may be influenced by the greater proportions of younger people categorised as trans, gender diverse, bisexual, pansexual and queer, relative to those in the older age groups (Hill et al. 2020). Participants in each of these categories are more likely to experience poor mental health outcomes, as well as discrimination and stigma, when compared with cisgendered, gay and lesbian participants (Hill et al. 2020).

Results by state and territory

The prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempt among PL3 participants was similar across states and territories.

• Lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts ranged from 67.6% in the Northern Territory (NT) to 80.6% in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• Recent (last 12 months) prevalence of suicidal thoughts ranged from 35.1% in the NT to 47.3% in Tasmania (Tas).
• Participants from Tas and Queensland (Qld) were most likely to report having attempted suicide in their lifetimes (35.5% and 34.7%, respectively), followed by those in South Australia (SA) (33.1%), Western Australia (WA) (32.3%), ACT (30.7%), Vic (28.1%), New South Wales (NSW) (28.0%) and the NT (21.4%).
• Recent suicide attempt was also more likely to be reported by participants from Tas (7.8%) and Qld (7.1%), followed by WA (6.2%) and ACT (5.7%), Vic (4.5%), SA (4.2%) and NSW (4.1%).
• Recent suicide attempt is not reported for participants from the NT due to the small number of NT participants in the survey. 

Caution should be used in interpreting the results by state and territory, as they may be affected by sampling and recruitment bias, in particular for the NT, where the sample size was only 37. Relative to the general population, PL3 oversampled people from Vic and the ACT, and under-sampled people from NSW and Qld (Hill et al. 2020). There may also be confounding due to differences in the age, gender, and sexual orientation distributions of LGBTQ+ people by state and territory.

Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts and disability or long-term health conditions in PL3

The PL3 survey asks participants whether they have a disability or long-term health condition (defined as one that has lasted or is expected to last 6 months or longer). If participants answer “yes” to this question, they are then asked a series of questions taken from the AIHW’s Standardised Disability Flag Module (SDFM). The SDFM identifies people who may be living with disability and/or long-term health conditions and the impact these conditions have on their day-to-day living (none, mild, moderate, and severe). For further information about how the SDFM was used and the limitations it may have on the data presented please see the PL3 national report.

The visualisation below includes two charts related to disability or long-term health condition. The left-hand chart shows the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts among PL3 participants according to their disability or long-term health condition. The right-hand chart shows suicidal thoughts and attempts among PL3 participants who reported having a disability or long-term health condition, according to the impact on their day to day living (disability severity). 

Suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBTQA+ PL3 (2019) participants by disability and/or long-term health condition status.

Results by disability or long-term health condition status

PL3 participants who reported they have a disability or were unsure whether they have a disability (84.8%) or were unsure whether they have a disability (84.7%) were most likely to have experienced suicidal thoughts in their lifetimes, compared with PL3 participants who did not have a disability (63.9%).  

PL3 participants who reported having a disability or being unsure about having a disability also reported the highest prevalence of recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts (54.2% and 53.0%, respectively), compared with those without a disability (28.6%).

Suicide attempt was more common among PL3 participants who reported having a disability, with 40.4% having attempted suicide in their lifetimes. This is twice the proportion of PL3 participants without a disability (19.6%) who reported lifetime suicide attempt.

Results by disability or long-term health condition impact on day-to-day activities

The results for lifetime and recent (last 12 months) suicidal ideation and suicide attempt show a clear gradient by the severity of activity limitation.

• Among PL3 participants with a disability or long-term health condition who reported severe limitations, 90.9% reported having suicidal thoughts in their lifetimes and 50.1% reported attempting suicide in their lifetimes. More than two thirds (68.0%) of these participants reported recent suicidal thoughts.
• For PL3 participants with a disability or long-term health condition who had no activity limitation, 71.2% reported lifetime suicidal thoughts and 26.4% reported lifetime suicide attempt.
• Lifetime and recent suicidal thoughts and attempt for PL3 participants with a disability or long-term health condition who had no activity limitation were similar to those without or unsure of whether they have a disability or long-term health condition. This suggests that activity limitation due to disability/long-term health conditions are associated with greater risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts. 

Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts by age, sexual orientation, and gender in PL3 

The visualisation below illustrates the percentage of PL3 participants, who reported experiencing suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide, categorised by age, sexual orientation, and gender, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months. 

Suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBTQA+ PL3 (2019) participants by age, sexual orientation, and gender. 

Results by sexual orientation and age

While the results for lifetime suicide thoughts and suicide attempts are mixed, recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts were found to decrease with age.

• Lesbian participants reported a decrease in the likelihood of lifetime suicidal thoughts with age from 85.5% for 18–24-year-olds to 62.7% for those aged 45 years and over. For all other sexual orientations there was no obvious trend.
• Lesbian participants reported a decrease in the likelihood of lifetime suicide attempt with age (41.5% of 18–24-year-olds, 22.0% of those aged 45 years and over).  Gay and queer participants also show an overall decrease with age.
• Participants of all sexual orientations, except those who are asexual, showed a decrease in recent suicidal thoughts with age. While a similar relationship may exist for suicide attempts it is difficult to determine due to small numbers.

Results by gender and age

• Cisgender woman participants reported that lifetime suicidal thoughts (80.1% for 18–24-year-olds, 64.1% of those aged 45 years and over) and suicide attempt (31.0% of18–24-year-olds, 19.6% of those aged 45 years and over) decreased with age. Cisgender man and non-binary participants may also demonstrate a decrease in lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt with age.
• Cisgender man, cisgender woman and non-binary participants reported that recent suicidal thoughts decreased with age. Trans man and trans woman participants also show that recent suicidal thoughts trend downwards with age. It is difficult to analyse recent (last 12 months) suicide attempt due to low small numbers.

Prevalence of suicidal behaviour and thoughts and self-harm among LGBTQA+ young people – data from the 2019 Writing Themselves In 4 (WTI4) survey

WTI4 is the fourth iteration of national surveys investigating the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, queer and Asexual (LGBTQA) young people, aged 14 to 21 years, in Australia. The WTI4 was conducted by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University in Melbourne in 2019.  The sample was recruited via paid advertising on social media and promotion through relevant professional networks and LGBTIQA+ organisations and achieved a sample of 6,418 participants. The WTI4 survey included questions on suicidal thoughts, suicide plans and attempts and self-harm in the past 12 months and lifetime. For more information, view the WTI4 report. As with PL3, the results of WTI4 may not be representative of young LGBTQA+ Australians and cannot be compared with the results for young people in the general population from national population surveys. 

The visualisation below illustrates WTI4 participants who have experienced suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, or engaged in self-harm, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months, categorised by sexual orientation, gender and state or territory of residence.

Suicidal thoughts, attempts, plan, and self-harm among LGBTQA+ WTI4 (2019) participants by personal characteristics.

Results by sexual orientation

The results for sexual orientation for suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, and self-harm in the lifetime and last 12 months, show little difference between different sexual orientations except for gay participants who consistently had the lowest prevalences of these behaviours. Pansexual, queer, and lesbian participants often had the highest percentages of suicidal and self-harming behaviour, however the differences between sexual orientation categories were often small.

• Pansexual, queer, lesbian and bisexual participants and those classified as ‘something else’ reported the highest percentages of lifetime suicidal thoughts. 84.8% of pansexual participants, 83.1% of queer participants, 81.5% of lesbian participants, 79.3% of bisexual participants and 78.8% of participants classified as 'something else' reported having thoughts about suicide, wanting to die, or ending their own life at some point in their lifetimes, followed by asexual and gay participants (75.4% and 68.8%, respectively).
• A similar pattern was seen with recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts, which were most likely to be reported by pansexual participants (67.4%) and least likely among gay participants (47.3%).
• A similar pattern of responses was evident for lifetime and recent (last 12 months) suicide plan with the highest proportions among pansexual participants (57.2% and 31.2% respectively) and the lowest among gay participants (37.6% and 17.8% respectively)
• The results for lifetime suicide attempt were similar to suicidal thoughts and suicide plans, from highest to lowest prevalence: pansexual (35.1%), lesbian (30.0%), queer (30.0%), something else (25.6%), bisexual (23.5%), asexual (21.1%), and gay (19.3%) participants.
• For recent suicide attempt, lesbian participants reported the highest percentage (14.1%) followed by pansexual (13.4%) and queer (11.6%) participants, with gay participants the lowest (7.8%)
• Lifetime and recent self-harm followed similar pattern to suicidal thoughts and suicide plan.

Comparing the differences in the order of sexual orientation between the WTI4 and PL3 surveys for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt, lesbian participants rank in the highest three in WTI4 survey results but second lowest in the PL3 survey results. This indicates that younger WTI4 lesbian participants may be more at risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than older PL3 lesbian participants. 

Results by gender

Trans man, trans woman, and non-binary participants more likely to have experienced lifetime and recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, and self-harm than cisgender (man and woman) participants.

• Trans man participants were more likely to experience lifetime suicidal thoughts (92.1%) and suicide attempt (46.9%) than trans woman (90.7% and 40.0% respectively).
• However, trans woman participants were more likely to have experienced recent suicidal thoughts (77.3%) and suicide attempt (20.0%) than trans man participants (73.1% and 16.7% respectively).

Results by state and territory

The visualisation below illustrates WTI4 participants who have experienced suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, or engaged in self-harm, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months, categorised by sexual orientation, gender and state or territory.

There was little difference in terms of likelihood of suicide thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, and self-harm over the lifetime or in the last 12 months by state/territory of participant. However, Tasmania and the Northern Territory (NT) often had the highest percentages compared to the other states and territories.  

• Participants from Tasmania and NT were more likely to experience lifetime suicidal thoughts (86% and 83.7%, respectively).  Other states ranged from 76.2% in the Australian Capital Territory to 79.6% in New South Wales.
• Lifetime suicide plan ranged from 45.3% for Victoria to 54.0% for Tasmania. Tasmania was also the highest for recent (last 12 months) suicide plan (30.2%). Other states ranged from 22.9% in Western Australia (WA) to 28.6% in the NT for recent suicide plan.
• Lifetime suicide attempts ranged from 22.5% of NT participants to 30.4% of Tasmanian participants. However, NT participants had the highest proportion of recent (last 12 months) suicide attempt at 15.0% (in other states recent suicide attempt ranged 9.4% for Victoria to 11.0% for Queensland).

In the PL3 survey Tasmania was consistently the highest or among the highest states or territories, in terms of likelihood of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt. It was difficult to assess comparisons with NT due to low NT participant numbers in the PL3 survey. 

Results by age

The visualisation below compares the likelihood of suicidal thoughts, attempts and self-harm among WTI4 participants aged 14 to 17 and 18 to 21 years, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months. 

Suicidal thoughts, plan, attempts and self-harm among LGBTQA+ WTI4 (2019) participants by age.

There was little difference between 14 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 21-year-olds in terms of likelihood of suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, and self-harm over the lifetime. However, over the last 12 months, 14 to 17-year-olds were more likely than 18 to 21-year-olds to experience suicidal thoughts (60.3% compared with 55.3%), suicide plan (27.3% compared with 20.2%) suicide attempt (12.0% compared with 7.4%) and self-harm (44.7% compared with 33.5%). 

Results by disability

The visualisation below illustrates disability and disability type of WTI4 participants who have experienced suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt, or engaged in self-harm, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months.

Suicide and self-harm support access among LGBTQA+ WTI4 (2019) participants by disability status and type.

Participants with disability compared to those without were more likely to experience lifetime suicidal thoughts (89.3% compared with 69.4%), suicide plan (64.9% compared with 33.9%), suicide attempt (39.4% compared with 15.7%) and self-harm (78.1% compared with 48.6%). This is also reflected in recent suicidal thoughts (70.5% compared with 47.9%), suicide plan (34.5% compared with 16.6%), suicide attempt (15.7% compared with 6.0%) and self-harm (53.6% compared with 28.1%).

There was little difference between disability types in terms of likelihood of lifetime and recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts, suicide plan, suicide attempt and self-harm. Intellectual disability showed the highest likelihood of lifetime and recent (last 12 months) suicide plan and suicide attempt, however the differences from the other disability types were small. 

Results by support service use

The visualisation below illustrates the proportions of WTI4 participants who had accessed professional support services in relation to suicide or self-harm, including type of service, by sexual orientation, gender, disability and state or territory.

Suicide and self-harm support access among LGBTQA+ WTI4 (2019) participants by personal characteristics.

Accessing support services in relation to suicide or self-harm, was related to likelihood of lifetime suicide thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm and accessibility of the services themselves. 

Support service use and sexual orientation

• Pansexual and queer participants and those classified as ‘something else’ were most likely to access professional support services in relation to suicide or self-harm (61.6%, 59.4% and 54.1%, respectively), followed by lesbian, bisexual, asexual and gay participants (52.9%, 50.0%, 47.2% and 41.1%, respectively). This order generally reflects the likelihood of lifetime suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm.
• Support services that were not in-person were most likely to be accessed by queer participants - 12.6% of queer participants reported accessing professional telephone support services and 17.1% reported accessing professional text or webchat support services. After queer participants, pansexual and lesbian participants were next most likely to access professional telephone support services (11.8% and 10.5%, respectively), while lesbian and pansexual participants were next most likely to access professional text or webchat support service (15.1% and 14.4%, respectively).

Support service use and gender

• The results for accessing professional support services in relation to concerns about suicide or self-harm by gender also reflect the likelihood of lifetime suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm. Trans man, trans woman, non-binary, and cisgender woman participants were more likely to report having accessed professional support services (71.1%, 63.8%, 56.7% and 50.8%, respectively), followed by cisgender man participants (38.6%).

Support service use and disability

• Participants with a disability were more likely to access professional support service in relation to suicide or self-harm, than participants without a disability (68.5%, compared with 38.9%). 

Support service use and state or territory

• Participants in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) were more likely to access professional support services in relation to suicide or self-harm, with participants from the Northern Territory (NT) the least likely (65.0% of ACT participants compared with 41.7% of those from the NT).
• Access to professional telephone support services was highest in the NT (16.7%). Telephone services may be used more in the NT due to greater challenges in accessing other forms of support. Other states and territories ranged from 8.5% for Queensland to 14.6% for the ACT.

Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts by age, sexual orientation, and gender in WTI4

The visualisation below illustrates the percentages of WTI4 participants aged 14 to 17 and 18 to 21 years, who have experienced suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, or engaged in self-harm, categorised by sexual orientation and gender, throughout their lifetime and over the last 12 months. 

Suicidal thoughts and attempts among LGBTQA+ WTI4 (2019) participants by age, sexual orientation, and gender. 

Results by sexual orientation by age group

Among sexual orientation classifications there was little difference between participants aged 14 to 17 years and 18 to 21 years in the likelihood of lifetime suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm. However, participants aged 14 to 17 years reported an increased likelihood of recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm compared to participants aged 18 to 21 years.

• Participants of all sexual orientations, except bisexual, reported higher likelihood of recent suicidal thoughts in 14 to 17 years age-group compared to the 18 to 21 years age-group, although the differences were small.  
• Participants of all sexual orientations, except asexual, reported higher likelihood of recent suicide attempt and self-harm in the 14 to 17 years age-group compared with the 18 to 21 years age group. Compared with suicidal thoughts, the relative differences for suicide attempt and self-harm were larger between the two age groups. 

Results by gender by age group

• Among gender classifications there was little difference between participants aged 14 to 17 years and 18 to 21 years in reported lifetime suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, and self-harm except for trans woman. 
• Trans women participants aged 14 to 17 years were about half as likely as those aged 18 to 21 years to experience lifetime suicide attempt (27.3% to 50.0% respectively) and lifetime self-harm (48.5% to 83.3% respectively).
• All genders, except trans woman, reported higher likelihood of recent (last 12 months) suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt and self-harm in the 14 to 17 years age-group, compared to the 18 to 21 years age-group. As per sexual orientation, the relative differences were larger between the two age groups for suicidal attempt and self-harm than suicidal thoughts.  
• Trans women participants aged 14 to 17 years were less likely than those aged 18 to 21 years to experience recent suicide attempt (15.2% to 23.8% respectively) and about half as likely to experience recent self-harm (33.3% to 59.5% respectively).

• Caution should be exercised when interpreting the results for trans woman participants due to low numbers in the WTI4 survey, with 33 participants aged 14 to 17 years and 42 aged 18 to 21 years.