The role of sleep duration in suicide risk among sexual and gender minority adolescents

Abstract

Background: Short sleep duration is linked with suicide risk in adolescence. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents experience substantially increased risk for suicide compared to their non-SGM peers.

Methods: We investigated the role of sleep duration in SGM adolescent suicide risk using population-based, cross-sectional data from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey (MSS; N = 85,610, M_age = 14.8). Adolescents reported average school-night sleep duration; those reporting <6 h were classified as having very short sleep duration. The MSS additionally assessed past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Mediation analyses assessed the role of sleep duration in explaining associations between SGM identity and suicide risk. Further, to examine intervention mechanisms, among SGM adolescents (n = 20,171, 23.6%), a logistic regression model assessed associations among demographic factors, perceived parental care, and very short sleep duration.

Results: As compared to non-SGM adolescents, SGM adolescents reported substantially higher prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempt and 2.6× higher prevalence of very short sleep duration (all p < 0.001). Mediation analyses demonstrated that very short sleep duration partially mediated the pathway between SGM identity and past-year suicidal ideation (15.5% mediated) and suicide attempt (17.2% mediated). Among SGM adolescents, a striking positive dose-response relationship was observed between level of perceived parental care and very short sleep duration. As perceived parental care decreased, so too did hours of sleep.

Discussion: Sleep duration is a crucial and understudied mechanism underlying suicide risk disparities affecting SGM adolescents. Family-based interventions may improve SGM adolescent sleep and reduce suicide risk.

Keywords: Adolescence; Sexual and gender minority; Sleep; Stigma; Suicide.