Motivations for the Use of Self-Harm in Gender and Sexuality Minorities (2021)

Gender and sexual minorities have been shown to experience higher rates of suicide, as well as a higher risk of non-suicidal self-harm behaviors (Haas et al., 2010; Liu & Mustanski, 2012). Despite past studies establishing rates and types of self-harm in both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ samples, almost no studies have examined possible reasons for engagement in self-injurious behaviors (see Laye-Gindhu & Schonert-Reichl, 2004, for an exception in a non-LGBTQ+ sample). My study addresses this significant omission in the literature by examining possible underlying motivations for engagement in self-harm in an international sample of LGBTQ+ persons. Potential reasons for self-harm include self-punishment, self-anger, interpersonal anger, tension/distress, curiosity, substance-use, dissociation, escape, boredom, control, suicide-urge, attention and communication. In addition, I examined how these different motivations related to downstream distress and/or well-being. My presentation will discuss my findings and their clinical implications.