Barriers to gay men’s help seeking are also discussed in detailing how health care providers might advance the well-being of this underserved subgroup by effectively addressing depression and suicidality.ĭepression is prevalent among gay men, wherein gay men are three times more likely to experience depression compared with the general adult population ( Cox, 2006 King et al., 2008). In the current article summated is literature addressing risk factors for depression and suicidality among gay men including family acceptance of their sexual identities, social cohesion and belonging, internalized stigma, and victimization. Related to this, gay men’s health has often been defined by sexual practices, and poorly understood are the intersections of gay men’s physical and mental health with social determinants of health including ethnicity, locale, education level, and socioeconomic status. Despite the high prevalence of depression and suicidality, health researchers and health care providers have tended to focus on sexual health issues, most often human immunodeficiency virus in gay men.
Because depression is a known risk factor for suicide, gay men are also at high risk for suicidality. The prevalence of depression among gay men is three times higher than the general adult population. Gay men are a subgroup vulnerable to depression and suicidality.
