Lesbian and bi women's suicides are more likely than heterosexual women's to involve alcohol use

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-01-21 03:00

International

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

***This media release contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline (Aus) on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline (NZ) on 0800 543 354. ***

Lesbian and bisexual women's suicides are more likely to involve alcohol use than heterosexual women's suicides, according to a US study. The research did not find the same relationship between suicide and alcohol for men, and the authors state that lesbian and bi women have twice the risk of binge drinking as heterosexual women, while gay / bi and heterosexual men report similar binge drinking habits. The authors acknowledge that their research was limited to cisgender participants, but other research has shown that transgender people have elevated risks of suicide and alcohol use, they say. The team suggests their research shows a need for further research into lesbian and bi women's alcohol use as an intervention target for suicide prevention.