These findings offer an insight into the complex and often multifaceted experiences of a sample of LGBT adults who recounted their narratives of growing up – often in hostile or unaffirming environments.

Experiences of rejection by intimate partners, peers, friends and, not insignificantly, family members represent a thread we see running through all of our participants’ stories.

Several themes were identified across participants.

Theme 1: Conflicts of being ‘out’: Stressors associated with LGBT suicide attempts in early life.

Theme 2: Concurrent mental health problems.

Theme 3: Grieving over lost relationships.