Report: Suicide danger increases when states ban counseling

By Bob Unruh

(Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay)
(Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay)

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ignored the need for a ruling on so-called “gay conversation therapy,” which actually is counseling that addresses unwanted same-sex ideologies and encourages people to live as the gender they were born.

There’s a conflict among the circuits on the issue, which has been in courts for years already. It erupted because LGBT activists over and over have demanded that governments censor the speech of counselors, especially those working with youth, and ban them from encouraging anyone from living as the sex they were born.

On the other hand, counselors are encouraged to promote the LGBT lifestyle choices.

The Supreme Court’s most recent action was to decline to hear the case of a Washington state counselor who is being censored by the state.

Get the hottest, most important news stories on the Internet – delivered FREE to your inbox as soon as they break! Take just 30 seconds and sign up for WND’s Email News Alerts!

The high court’s abandonment of speech rights drew a rebuke from Justice Clarence Thomas, who stated, “A law that restricts speech based on its content or viewpoint is presumptively unconstitutional and may be upheld only if the state can prove that the law is narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests.”

The justices also were rebuked by President Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association.

“That the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear this case is not only disappointing, it’s tragic. We have already seen the First Amendment under assault for employees in corporations, parents at local school board meetings, for students on college and university campuses, and elsewhere.

“Now mental health professionals are being gagged when it comes to offering a different perspective on sexual brokenness. It is becoming increasingly clear that Christians must get involved in the political arena if they are to continue enjoying the constitutional protections we have all taken for granted. But in the meantime, Christians in deep blue states should also realize that staying in places like Washington will mean living in a Marxian nightmare, where those rights are already disappearing before our very eyes.”

And now a new report reveals that the “evidence” used to support such content-based speech restrictions is faulty – and that the risk of suicide actually increases where officials impose such speech limits.

The report from The Federalist stunningly offers evidence directly contradicting the oft-made claim from LGBT activists that such counseling increases the risk of suicide.

The report noted some 26 states impose some level of speech censorship on the issue, “at least partly based on studies claiming ‘conversion therapy’ increases LGBT Americans’ suicide risks.”

But the report confirmed, “Yet every existing study that makes this claim is seriously scientifically unsound, several research reviews recently found.”

In fact, the actual information in one study often used to support the censorship schemes shows the opposite of what its authors claim, the report said.

The problem is simply a failure to adhere to common rules for research.

The Federalist report explained, “Every study published since 2009 on therapy for people struggling with sexual orientation distress used the same major scientific flaw [Ruth Institute researcher Paul] Sullins identified in a 2020 paper, Christopher Rosik, a psychologist at Fresno Pacific University, found in 2022 with a research review. All failed to control for suicidal thoughts and actions LGBT people expressed before they went to ‘conversion therapy.’

“The studies claim ‘conversion therapy’ caused the LGBT study participants to have more suicidal thoughts and attempts, but not one separated the suicidal thoughts and attempts that occurred before starting therapy,” the report confirmed, “It’s not only logically impossible but scientifically invalid to say something that came after a first thing caused the first thing. But that’s what every single one of these studies did.”

Sullins explained, “The evidence shows that SOCE [sexual orientation change efforts] is fairly effective at preventing suicide attempts.”

Yet the manipulated studies’ conclusions have been used to ban therapists from helping distressed patients across the country, the report said.

President Biden on June 15, 2022, announces his executive order to crack down on "conversion therapy" for gays. (Video screenshot)
President Biden on June 15, 2022, announces his executive order to crack down on “conversion therapy” for gays. (Video screenshot)

The Federalist reported Sullins reran the numbers obtained by pro-LGBT researchers, with proper controls, and confirmed two-thirds of the LGBT participants’ suicidal thoughts and attempts in the 2020 study happened before they went to therapy for help with their sexual orientation.

“That means therapy couldn’t have caused the majority of LGBT people’s suicidal thoughts or attempts because most happened before therapy,” the report said.

And, the report said, Sullins confirmed what would be an ordinary logical conclusion, that much-condemned “conversation therapy” actually reduced suicide attempts and intentions by up to 80%.

The report warned, “If therapy does reduce suicidal thoughts and attempts, these talk therapy bans and the Supreme Court’s refusal to end them enable higher levels of distress and self-harm for LGBT Americans.”

Sullins reported that in some faulty studies, the decision to “ignore time order in attributing causation” actually was an intentional fraud built into the results.

He confirmed the four most recent studies the American Psychological Association and U.K. Government Equalities Office cited when publicly supporting censorship schemes were built on the same error.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO WND READERS: America – long the freest, most prosperous, powerful, altruistic and Christian nation on earth – is on the brink of destruction. Every decent and aware American adult knows this. The evidence is everywhere.

Democrat politicians today overwhelmingly favor late-term abortion up to the very moment of birth – formerly known as “infanticide.” They encourage children too young to drive or vote to have their breasts and/or sex organs amputated in pursuit of a “gender transition” that is both delusional and impossible, and which leads to staggering rates of depression and suicide. They have not just allowed, but ENGINEERED, a full-scale foreign invasion of America across her southern border.

Their standard bearer, President Joe Biden – a senile, pathologically dishonest and epically corrupt career political hack – is destroying America’s economy, energy sector, military, law enforcement, election integrity, national security, Constitution and overall national wellbeing as rapidly as possible. At the same time, Team Biden demonizes and, increasingly, IMPRISONS critics as “violent extremists,” “domestic terrorists,” “white supremacists” and “insurrectionists.” Indeed, they’re currently engaged in an obviously corrupt multi-front legal war against Biden’s chief political rival, Donald J. Trump, in an attempt to send the 45th president of the United States to prison for the rest of his life.

None of this constitutes “politics” in any conventional or traditional American sense. Rather, it is all darkly spiritual. The greatest nation on earth is in the throes of a full-blown spiritual war between good and evil.

The big question, then, is WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SAVE AMERICA? Fortunately, real answers and uncommon wisdom are showcased in the December issue of WND’s critically acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine, “CAN AMERICA BE SAVED? The world’s freest, most Christian nation is on the brink of destruction.”

In this very special issue, readers will experience the best and deepest thoughts and strategies on how to restore America to her former goodness and greatness, from some of the nation’s most respected analysts – everyone from Tucker Carlson to Dennis Prager to Victor Davis Hanson to Newt Gingrich and many more.

WHISTLEBLOWER is available in both the popular print edition and a state-of-the-art digital version, either single issues or discounted annual subscriptions.

For 25 years, WND has boldly brought you the news that really matters. If you appreciate our Christian journalists and their uniquely truthful reporting and analysis, please help us by becoming a WND Insider!

Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!

 

Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.


Leave a Comment