Gun ownership and suicide not a good mix

William Atkins
Thursday, 18 September 2008 21:12

Science - Health

The authors give three possible reasons why more suicides are carried out in the U.S. states with the most gun owners:

1.    Suicidal acts are impulsive. They state that one-third to four-fifths of all suicide attempts are impulsive. Specifically, they found that people who made “near-lethal” suicide attempts (a) 24% took less than 5 minutes to decide and (b) 70% took less than one hour to decide.

2.    Suicides are “self-limiting.” According to the authors, suicide attempts are often caused by short-term crises (loss of job, crime, romantic breakup). If the person attempting suicide lives through the experience, the authors state, over 90% do not make another attempt and do not ultimately die from suicide.

3.    Guns are plentiful in the United States, and they are lethal. The authors state that over 33% of U.S. households possess a firearm. The authors state, “A suicide attempt with a firearm rarely affords a second chance. Attempts involving drugs or cutting, which account for more than 90% of all suicidal acts, prove fatal far less often.”

The two researchers state, “In our experience, many clinicians who care deeply about preventing suicide are unfamiliar with the evidence linking guns to suicide. Too many seem to believe that anyone who is serious enough about suicide to use a gun would find an equally effective means if a gun were not available. This belief is invalid.”

They conclude, “Among men, among women, and in every age group (including children), states with higher rates of household gun ownership had higher rates of firearm suicide and overall suicides.”

And, “The recent Supreme Court decision may lead to higher rates of gun ownership. Such an outcome would increase the incidence of suicide.”