Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, according to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey. A 2009 study, "Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes" led by Dr. Caitlin Ryan and conducted as part of the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University, shows that adolescence who were rejected by their families for being LGBT were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide.

And for every completed suicide by a young person, it is estimated that 100 to 200 attempts are made (2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey).

In Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning Son or Daughter, author Kevin Jennings associates this statistic with the stressors gay youth face, such as:

1. Increasing awareness of same sex attraction.
2. Disclosure of sexual orientation to family and friends.
3. Victimization provoked by their sexual orientation (verbal abuse, threats of physical violence, etc.).

Help Prevent LGBT Suicide:

• How To Help A Suicidal Friend
• 2 Ways To Prevent Teen Suicide
• Gay Suicide Help Line
• Gay Suicide Myths and Facts