The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Sexual Orientation Identity Institute at the Center on Halsted co-hosted the forum “Suicide in the LGBT Community: Research and Health Care Perspectives 2009,” which took place March 24 at the center, 3656 N. Halsted.
Panelists Robert Garafalo, M.D., and Laura Szalacha, Ph.D., presented research conclusions while Edmond Yomtoob, Valerie Newman, Tonda Hughes and Dennis Beauchamp all briefly described the challenges from a clinician’s perspective.
Garafalo, the deputy director of Howard Brown Health Center, presented research data specific to LGBT youth, but stressed the need for more research studies to include elderly and trans individuals. Beauchamp, who has been working with older adults for 33 years, reported that 75 percent of older adults who commit suicide see their doctor within their last month and are more likely to use lethal methods. Older gays are most likely to be isolated due to the loss of a partner, income or contact with a social circle; sometimes all of these risk factors develop all at once. Almost all presenters talked about the social stigmatization of suicide, a taboo topic that silences many from getting help. Survivors, friends and family who have been affected by a loss can all be life-saving resources to those who are struggling.
For more information go to www.afsp.org or www.centeronhalsted.org.