Psychosocial Interventions for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for youth ages 11-17. Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are at a higher risk for suicide than their cisgender heterosexual peers. Prior reviews of SGMY-targeted psychosocial interventions have focused on concerns other than suicide, such as depressive symptoms, or mental health outcomes more broadly.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to identify and describe the current state of the literature regarding evidence-based psychosocial interventions focused on reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in SGMY. We sought to analyze the relevant literature on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for LGBTQIA+ adolescents with STB.

METHOD: A systematic search of articles published between January 1, 2013, and January 10, 2025, was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library's CENTRAL.

RESULTS

Twenty-three unique RCTs were published over an 11-year period, with an uptick in 2023. Of these, six had published results, eight were protocol papers, and nine were trial registrations. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and family-based therapy were the most common treatment modalities and over half included an online component, such as virtual sessions or a digital app.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the significant disparity in suicide risk for SGMY, there is a dearth of literature on RCTs focused on STBs in LGBTQIA+ adolescents published between 2013 and 2024. It is essential to increase the number of RCTs conducted with this population to develop or adapt interventions to the specific needs of these youths.