Sexual Orientation Disparity in Suicidality: The Indirect Effects of Perceived Pressure to Get Married, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Thwarted Belongingness among Unmarried Chinese Adults

Abstract

The present study examined the indirect relationship between sexual orientation status and suicidality through perceived parental, social, and internalized pressure to get married, as well as perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. An online sample of 1420 Chinese unmarried adults (54.4% female, 41.8% male, and 3.9% non-binary; age: M = 25.4 years, SD = 4.8) completed self-report measures. The results showed that sexual minority individuals reported higher levels of perceived parental pressure to get married, social pressure to get married, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicidality, and lower levels of internalized parental pressure to get married compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Path analyses suggested that being a sexual minority was associated with increased suicidality through perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, as well as through social pressure to get married and then thwarted belongingness. Furthermore, being a sexual minority was indirectly associated with increased suicidality through internalized pressure to get married. These findings contribute to our understanding of how sexual orientation status contributes to suicidality among Chinese unmarried adults.