It appears that by changing their laws to allow same-sex marriage, the American states did the right thing for the sexual minority community. Now, a new study has found a link between same-sex marriage laws and reduction in suicide attempts by teens.

According to the study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics on Feb. 20, 2017, implementation of laws permitting same-sex marriage may lead to a reduction in the suicide rate among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) teens. Researchers believe that the reduction in suicide attempts may be due to such policies help reduce social stigma perceived by LGB adolescents.

The report was released after an extensive review of a national survey comprising about 800,000 U.S. teens, of which 230,000 were from LGB community. The researchers used state-level Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data from Jan. 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2015, which has statistics from all the states with the participation of more than 60 percent.

The highlights of the study are listed below:

Changes in the suicide trend amongst teens were analyzed before and after the implementation of same-sex marriage policies, in 32 states and in 15 states, where no such laws were introduced.

In the survey, 763,000 teens were probed about the number of times they had contemplated committing suicide in the last one year. This group included 231,413 teens who were identified as sexual minorities.

Nearly 9 percent of all the high school students and 28.5 percent of students from the sexual minority group had attempted suicide before the implementation of such policies.

However, after the implementation of same-sex marriage policy, the study found a 7 percent reduction in suicide attempts among all high school students within the past year. The effect was concentrated among teens who belonged to LGB group.

Based on these study results, the authors concluded that there is a strong link between the mental health outcomes and same-sex marriage policies.

“We provide evidence that implementation of same-sex marriage policies reduced adolescent suicide attempts. Policymakers should consider the mental health consequences of same-sex marriage policies,” the authors said.

Suicide and gender: The Trevor project statistics

The Trevor project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention support and suicide prevention support to the sexual minorities in the age group of 13-24 years. Listed below are some startling facts published by it, with respect to LGB youth and suicide:

Among people aged between 10 and 24 years, the second leading cause of death is suicide.

For the LGB youth, the suicide rate is four times higher and two times higher for the questioning youth, relative to the straight youth.

The LGB youth belonging to very hostile families are likely to contemplate suicide 8.4 times more than the other LGB peers who have a low level of family hostility.

Help is at hand

The study established a reduction in the suicide attempts among LGB group with the implementation of same-sex marriage policies. However, there are additional pressing concerns that haunt the sexual minority community such as homelessness, sexual violence, bullying, etc. A society that is better educated on the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity can also go a long way in creating better environments for people of all ages.

The higher rate of mental disorders within this demographic come not from their identities and orientations, but how they are typically disenfranchised by society and rejected by their peers and families. Fortunately, there are mental health professionals ready to help those of any gender identity and sexual orientation. These therapists also know the toll sex work can take on some people, such as anxiety from violent encounters and depression from feeling trapped in their profession.

If you know someone struggling with a mental problem or addiction-related issue, it is time to seek professional support. At the Recover Mental Health, we can help you find one of the top mental health treatment centers across the U.S. Call us at our 24/7 helpline 866-593-2339 or chat online with our experts to get in touch with mental health specialists in your area.