Attitudes and beliefs about suicidal behavior when coming out is the precipitant of the suicidal behavior

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research,  Nov, 2003  by Jennifer Ellen Cato,  Silvia Sara Canetto

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Table I. Factor Loadings of Items Evaluating the Suicidal Decision

                         Factor 1                     Factor 2
                       (Power of the               (Soundness of
         Item           Decision)                  the Decision)

Weak-strong                .75
Cowardly-brave             .72
Elicits sympathy           .70
Selfish-unselfish          .69
Permission to suicide                                   .87
Acceptable decision                                     .79
Wrong-right                                             .67
Foolish-wise                                            .61
Table II. Evaluations of the Suicidal Decision: Mean Scores and F
Statistics

                  Precipitant of the suicidal behavior
                          Coming           Relation
                 Illness   out    Failure   loss      F

Power             4.80     5.52    5.71     5.68    14.72***
Soundness         5.08     6.04    5.93     6.07    17.39***
Active/Passive    3.72     3.70    4.76     4.25     7.03***

                        Target sex        Respondent sex
                    Women   Men     F    Women    Men    F

Power                5.44   5.41   0.06   5.41   5.44   0.10
Soundness            5.84   5.71   1.17   5.93   5.61   7.47**
Active/Passive       4.10   4.08   0.01   4.18   4.00   0.86

                        Respondent gender identity
                     Fem     Masc    Andro  Undiff   F

Power                5.18    5.54    5.53    5.33   2.30
Soundness            5.65    5.63    6.03    5.57   3.65**
Active/Passive       3.90    4.14    4.25    4.03   0.72

Note. Illness = physical illness: Coming out = parental rejection
following coming out: Failure = academic failure; Relation loss = loss
of an intimate relationship; Fem = feminine; Masc = masculine; Andro =
androgynous; Undiff = undifferentiated. Lower numbers reflect
perceptions of the suicidal decision as more powerful, more sound, and
more active.
* p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001.

(1) Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

(2) To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1876; e-mail: scanetto@lamar.colostate.edu.

REFERENCES

Beere, C. A. (1990). Gender roles: A handbook of tests and measures. New York: Greenwood Press.

Canetto, S. S. (1992). Gender and suicide in the elderly. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 22, 80-97.

Canetto, S. S. (1997a). Meanings of gender and suicidal behavior during adolescence. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 27, 339-350.

Canetto, S. S. (1997b). Gender and suicidal behavior: Theories and evidence. In R. W. Maris, M. M. Silverman, & S. S. Canetto (Eds.), Review of suicidology (pp. 138-167). New York: Guilford.

Canetto, S. S., & Lester, D. (1995). Gender and the primary prevention of suicide mortality. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 25, 58-69.

Canetto, S. S., & Lester, D. (1998). Gender, culture, and suicidal behavior. Transcultural Psychiatry, 35, 163-191.