Vol. 6, Issue 8, Part C (2020)

The purpose of the present paper was to review the various factors that put sexual minority adolescents at risk of suicide. A systematic review of around 80 journal articles published online between 1980 and 2019 was done using google, google scholar and online databases like Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, ProQuest, JSTOR, Studies on Women and Gender Abstracts, etc. A detailed analysis of the selected research papers suggests that suicidal risks, along with related psycho-physiological conditions, to be significantly more among adolescents belonging to sexual minority groups than their heterosexual and gender-norm conforming counterparts. Along with the common suicidal risk factors like feelings of depression, anxiety, low levels of self-esteem, negative peer influence, dysfunctional family environment, etc, sexual minority adolescents face additional burdens in the form of parental rejection, school bullying, micro-aggression, homophobic discrimination and demographic factors that escalate their chances of attempting suicide. Even the process of coming-out has its own challenges that put adolescents at heightened risk of suicides. However, supportive family environment has been identified as a major protective factor that could be strengthened to help prevent suicide.