Utah death investigator Cory Russo is no stranger to questioning strangers during the most excruciating moments of their lives. When she shows up at the scene of a suicide, murder, or other unexpected death, her job is to interview the grieving people about how the deceased lived.
how old were they? what was their race? did they have a job? Have they been hospitalized for psychiatric problems? How were they feeling that morning?
Over the last few years, she’s added new questions to the list. “What was their sexual orientation?” What was their gender identity?
Russo, who works for the Salt Lake City coroner’s office, routinely collects such data, even though sexual orientation and gender identity may be relevant to the circumstances surrounding the death. He is one of the few death investigators in the United States. death of a person.
She recalled the recent suicide of a young man who died in an elderly home. Russo said during an interview that she had been living with her family for a year after being kicked out of the house because the man was gay, she learned. He struggled with emotional turmoil and addiction.
“It was heartbreaking to hear,” said Russo, a lesbian who lost a loved one to suicide. “In that case, it was very meaningful to understand the work.”“
Studies of LGBTQ people have shown that they have higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, which greatly increase their risk of suicide.
But no one knows how many gay and transgender people die by suicide each year in the United States, because most death examiners don’t collect data on sexuality or gender identity. Researchers say the lack of information makes it difficult to tailor suicide prevention efforts to the needs of those most at risk and to measure how well programs are working. It is said that
They said the lack of data was particularly disappointing at a time when speculation about suicide rates among LGBTQ groups is often brought into high-stakes political debates. For example, some LGBTQ advocates warn that a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors will lead to an increase in suicides, while some Republican lawmakers say suicide deaths are rare. claim.
Utah, like many mountain states, high suicide ratehas been at the forefront of efforts to collect such data since the state legislature took office in 2017. passed the law Require detailed investigation of suicides.
Sociologist Michael Staley, who was hired to lead the data-gathering effort at the Utah coroner’s office, said legislators “frustrated being asked to respond to the state’s suicide crisis while blindfolded.” ‘ said. “It’s a fire with 5 alarms.”
Within months of investigators like Russo showing up at the scene of a death, Dr. Staley’s team of six conducted “psychopsies” to examine the families of all those who died by suicide or drug overdose in the state. Get in touch and get more information. life of the deceased.
Such data includes information on sexual relationships, gender, residence, mental health, drug problems, social media use, and more, and helps to understand the complex factors that contribute to people’s decision to end their lives. It could help us understand, he said. Staley said. He plans to release a report later this year containing interviews with family members of people who have died by suicide in Utah over the past few years. 5 years.
For children and adolescents who have died by suicide, the team interviews not only their parents and guardians, but also a few close friends. In some cases, Dr. Staley recalled, friends knew about the deceased’s sexuality, gender, or struggles with substance use that their parents didn’t.
These conversations can be very difficult. John Brosnich, director of a research initiative called the LGBT Mortality Project at the University of Southern California, accompanied the death hunters to observe them and train them on the importance of collecting data on gender and sexuality. His training also helps investigators deal with the pain and prejudice of questions from friends and relatives of the deceased.
“They are talking to families who are shocked, furious, and at times tense at the loss,” Brosnich said.
Brosnitch has trained investigators in Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New York and California. 2021 State Laws Launched a pilot program to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity.recently study Brosnich said he was one of 114 researchers in three states. report Only about 41% directly asked about the deceased’s sexual orientation before the training, and only 25% asked about their gender identity.
Medical examiners send reports of murders and suicides to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. maintain the database Violent death information, including extensive demographic, medical, and social information such as toxicology tests, mental health examinations, and even stories of financial and family hardships.But further research 10,000 suicides It found that only 20 percent of the young people reported to the CDC database included information about the deceased’s sexuality or gender identity.
Another agency of the Ministry of Health, the National Coordinating Office of Health Information Technology, is setting new standards requiring federally funded hospitals to ask patients about their sexual orientation and gender identity. .
Dr. John Auerbach, who worked on standardizing sexuality and gender questions at the CDC in 2021-2022, said death investigators “are limited in that they can’t ask the person.” Dr. Auerbach said that for patients about their sexuality and gender identity, the information could also help answer other public health questions, such as the relative risk of cancer and diabetes in the LGBTQ community.
However, that approach has limitations. Patients may be reluctant to disclose that information to their doctors. And those who do not use the health care system may be particularly at risk of suicide.
LGBTQ advocates say obtaining that data has become more urgent over the past few years as states across the country impose restrictions on many aspects of gay and transgender people’s lives. rice field.
“It’s too easy to fire us because we don’t have enough data,” said Casey Pick, director of law and policy at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. Told. Start collecting that data.
“I’ve heard this time and time again. At hearings, lawmakers and notaries have suggested that the LGBTQ community is groaning about suicide because we have no data to point to. Because they don’t,” Pick said.
Recognizing the unknown is also important, Staley says. Studies report higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide among lesbian, gay, and transgender people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean higher rates of suicide. He noted that women have a higher rate of suicide attempts than men, but that men have a much higher rate of death from suicide because guns are more readily available.
And Dr. Staley, who is gay, cautioned against political narratives that “normalize suicide as part of the queer experience.”
“If anything, I would argue that this life experience is what makes us resilient,” he says. “Our destiny is not set. Our story is not written.”
If you are considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
