Building stronger bonds: The impact of family support and communication on suicidal behaviors among Black men who have sex with men

Donte T Boyd; Camille R Quinn; Kristian V Jones; Bernadine Waller; Evelyn Joy Coker; Erinn B Duprey; Catherine Cerulli; Henrika McCoy

doi:10.1111/sltb.13072

Building stronger bonds: The impact of family support and communication on suicidal behaviors among Black men who have sex with men

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2024 Mar 15. doi: 10.1111/sltb.13072. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Donte T Boyd^{1

2}, Camille R Quinn^{3

4}, Kristian V Jones⁵, Bernadine Waller⁶, Evelyn Joy Coker⁷, Erinn B Duprey^{8

9}, Catherine Cerulli^{10

11}, Henrika McCoy^{12

13}

Affiliations

¹ College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
² Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
³ School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
⁴ Center for Equitable Family and Community Well-being, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
⁵ School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, New York, USA.
⁷ Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
⁸ Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
⁹ Children's Institute, Rochester, New York, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
¹¹ Community Engagement Core TRANSFORM Center, Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
¹² Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
¹³ Texas Center for Equity Promotion, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.

PMID: 38488644
DOI: 10.1111/sltb.13072

Abstract

Introduction: It has been well documented that men who identify with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual are at a greater risk for suicide-related outcomes. What is less known are the protective factors that can reduce such negative outcomes and contribute to their resilience.

Methods: This study used data collected between December 1, 2021, and January 2022 to understand how family factors contribute to or prevent depression symptoms and suicide outcomes among young Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) ages 18 to 29 (N = 400). A path analysis was conducted to explore the direct and indirect effects of suicide attempts.

Results: Surprisingly, there were nuanced findings that showed having a family member or friend die by suicide was indirectly associated with suicide planning and suicide attempts. It was also unexpectedly noted that there was a positive relationship between higher rates of depressive symptoms and higher levels of support from family members.

Conclusions: The population focused on in this study is understudied and has unique needs. Identifying familial support may not automatically reduce the thoughts and plans of young BMSM, which is an example of why their intersecting marginalized identities must be considered when conducting further research, creating interventions, and providing therapeutic services.

Keywords: Black gay and bisexual males; families; suicidal behaviors.

Grants and funding

T32 MH096724/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States