Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University have just published the results of a study which asked a simple question: is same-sex marriage legislation related to the youth suicide rates of a particular area?
The ongoing debate for same-sex marriage in Australia has been in the public eye for sure, but the darker issue of suicide in LGBTQI Australians is something too often swept under the carpet.
The fact is that, compared to their heterosexual peers, same-sex attracted young Australians are still six times more likely to attempt suicide in their life.
A new study from the US has us asking: how much more information do we need before Australia ushers in same-sex marriage?
The study reported on data gathered from over 750,000 students. While it wasn’t designed to investigate why the two social issues were related, the association between the two was clear.
The results decreed that yes, there was a drop in youth suicide rates in states where same-sex marriage was legalised. Which should be exactly as you expect.
“Policymakers need to be aware that policies on sexual minority rights can have a real effect on the mental health of adolescents,” said Julia Raifman, a study author and an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
“We can all agree that reducing adolescent suicide attempts is a good thing, regardless of our political views.”
