Suicide Risk in Adults: The Roles of Defeat, Entrapment, and Sexual and Gender Minority Identity Across Two Samples.

Objective

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people experience higher rates of suicidal ideation than cisgender heterosexual (cis/het) individuals. The Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) model proposes key psychological mechanisms (i.e., defeat and entrapment) that contribute to suicide ideation. Examining IMV processes between SGM and cis/het adults can uncover the universality of defeat-entrapment pathways in suicide risk and inform for whom interventions targeting these mechanisms may be most effective.

Method

The current study examined SGM status as a moderator between defeat/entrapment, and suicidal thoughts across two adult samples: a college student sample in the United States (Sample 1; n = 865) and an adult community sample in the United Kingdom (Sample 2; n = 734).

Results

SGM participants reported higher rates of lifetime suicidal ideation across both samples, and higher levels of defeat and entrapment as compared to cis/het in Sample 1. Defeat and entrapment were significantly associated with suicide ideation in both samples. In Sample 1, SGM status moderated the association between entrapment and suicide ideation, but not between defeat and suicide ideation. The relationship between entrapment and suicide ideation was stronger for SGM people. In Sample 2, no moderation effects of SGM status were found.

Conclusions

Findings highlight that across contexts, defeat and entrapment are key correlates of suicidal distress. For SGM adults, minority stressors and related mechanisms may increase suicide risk alongside defeat and entrapment. Future research should explore both shared and identity‑specific pathways to suicide risk as well as develop contextually sensitive suicide prevention approaches that integrate both IMV mechanisms and minority stress frameworks.