Lifetime suicidal thoughts and attempts among people with disabilities: Applying the minority stress model.

PURPOSE/

Objective

People with disabilities experience substantially higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts than their nondisabled peers. They also face significant experienced and internalized stigma, which has been linked to poorer mental health outcomes. This study applied the minority stress theory to examine how distal (overt discrimination and microaggressions) and proximal (internalized stigma and disability concealment) stressors relate to lifetime suicidal thoughts and attempts among people with disabilities. It also examined the role of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness as mediators. RESEARCH METHOD/

Design

Participants were 279 U.S. adults with disabilities who completed an online survey. A multinomial regression was used to assess the associations between minority stressors and lifetime suicidal thoughts and attempts. A parallel path analysis with manifest variables was used to assess the mediating roles of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness.

Results

Internalized stigma was significantly associated with an increased risk of lifetime suicidal thoughts and attempts, with perceived burdensomeness mediating this relationship for attempts. Overt discrimination, microaggressions, and disability concealment were not significantly linked to lifetime suicidal thoughts or attempts. Thwarted belongingness was also not a significant mediator. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS These findings underscore the need for disability-informed mental health treatment that addresses internalized stigma and promote suicide gatekeeper training for professionals who work with people with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).