Suicide and self-harm risk twice as high in LGB+ adults in England and Wales

The suicide risk is particularly high for people in the LGB+ community who are female or Black, the ONS said. Photograph: Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty

The risk of suicide and self-harm for people who identify as gay or lesbian, bisexual or another sexual orientation (LGB+) is more than twice as high as for their heterosexual peers, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS found that the risk of suicide among people aged 16 and over identifying as LGB+ in England and Wales was about 2.2 times higher than among heterosexuals, while the risk of intentional self-harm was 2.5 times higher.