title: Suicide attempts among gay and bisexual men: lifetime prevalence and antecedents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts and psychosocial correlates in a large population-based sample of men who have sex with men (MSM).
  
  
  METHODS
  A telephone probability sample of US urban MSM (n = 2881) were interviewed between November 1996 and February 1998.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one percent had made a suicide plan; 12% had attempted suicide (almost half of those 12% were multiple attempters). Most who attempted suicide made their first attempt before age 25. Although prevalence of parasuicide (i.e., attempted suicide) has remained constant across birth cohorts, mean age at initial attempts has declined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSM are at elevated risk for suicide attempts, with such risk clustered earlier in life. Some risk factors were specific to being gay or bisexual in a hostile environment.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco-Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. jpaul@psg.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Jay P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: Lance
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Canchola
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Binson
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D003657:Decision Making; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population