title: Protective school climates and reduced risk for suicide ideation in sexual minority youths.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether sexual minority students living in states and cities with more protective school climates were at lower risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on sexual orientation and past-year suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts were from the pooled 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Surveys from 8 states and cities. We derived data on school climates that protected sexual minority students (e.g., percentage of schools with safe spaces and Gay-Straight Alliances) from the 2010 School Health Profile Survey, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students living in states and cities with more protective school climates reported fewer past-year suicidal thoughts than those living in states and cities with less protective climates (lesbians and gays: odds ratio [OR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.47, 0.99; bisexuals: OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.99). Results were robust to adjustment for potential state-level confounders. Sexual orientation disparities in suicidal thoughts were nearly eliminated in states and cities with the most protective school climates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School climates that protect sexual minority students may reduce their risk of suicidal thoughts.
authors: Mark L. Hatzenbuehler is with the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY. Michelle Birkett is with the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Aimee Van Wagenen is with the Center for Population Research in LGBT Health, Fenway Institute, Boston, MA. Ilan H. Meyer is with the Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors: Mark L
authors: ML
authors: Hatzenbuehler
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Birkett
authors: Aimee
authors: A
authors: Van Wagenen
authors: Ilan H
authors: IH
authors: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D019529:Sexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology