Differences in gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation across latent classes of suicide ideation

Objective: This study aimed to identify latent classes of suicidal thought content and suicide-related behaviour. Further, we tested whether classes differentially represented people based on key aspects of social identity. Method: Young adults (N = 447) who endorsed recent suicide ideation completed the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised (Fox et al., 2020). A latent class analysis was conducted with lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide planning, preparation, and attempt. Classes were compared on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and their intersections. Results: There were three distinct classes of suicide ideation: Low Risk (23.04% of participants; consisting of passive thoughts), Moderate Risk (36.91%; passive thoughts and planning a way or method), and High Risk (40.04%; passive and active thoughts, planning a way or method and place, preparation, and attempt). The Moderate Risk class overrepresented racialized people compared to the High Risk class, p = .017, which overrepresented 2SLGBTQIA+ people compared to either of the other classes, ps < .001. Intersectional differences emerged but were nonsignificant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Conclusion: Our study improves knowledge about patterns of suicide ideation and suicide-related behaviour, and differences in their prevalence based on major axes and intersections of social identity.