Article2022

Restrictive Firearm Laws and Firearm-Related Suicide

Bradley Kawano · Suresh Agarwal · Vijay Krishnamoorthy · Karthik Raghunathan · Joseph Steven Fernandez-Moure · Krista Haines

18 citations0/0 files storedJournal of the American College of Surgeons

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Gun Ownership and Violence Research Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There were 23,854 suicides by firearms in 2017 in the US, accounting for 60% of all gun deaths. Studying firearm-related mortalities is vital for reducing preventable gun deaths. This study aims to determine the association between state-level presence of restrictive firearm laws and suicide rates with firearms. STUDY DESIGN: This ecological study used data from the CDC Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research on decedents older than 18 years who died from intentional self-harm with firearms between 2009 and 2018. Exposures of interest were state-level restrictive firearm laws: background checks on private sales, mandatory waiting periods, and prohibited possession for domestic violence restraining orders or mental health red flags. Outcomes were rates of suicide with firearms per 100,000 persons over the 10-year period within each state. Welch's t -tests compared mean mortality rates in exposed and unexposed states. RESULTS: There were 208,621 deaths from intentional self-harm with firearms from 2009 to 2018. States with background checks, mandatory waiting periods, and prohibited possession were associated with lower suicide rates for all firearm types compared with states without these laws (p < 0.05). Only states with background checks and mandatory waiting periods were associated with lower suicide rates by handguns and large firearms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Background checks and mandatory waiting periods correlated with fewer suicides by all firearms and specific firearm types. This reduction could be due to firearm laws directly preventing people from accessing guns or existing concurrently with other suicide prevention measures. More research should be directed to understanding how firearm laws can help reduce suicide rates.

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2014Mental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide: bringing epidemiologic research to policy 2013Firearms and Suicide in the United States: Is Risk Independent of Underlying Suicidal Behavior?2020Current Epidemiological Trends in Firearm Mortality in the United States 2019Type of Firearm Used in Suicides: Findings From 13 States in the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2005–2015 2020Purchaser Licensing, Point-of-Sale Background Check Laws, and Firearm Homicide and Suicide in 4 US States, 1985–2017 2015A Ground-Up Model for Gun Violence Reduction: A Community-Based Public Health Approach 2016Stopping the Bleeding Is Not Enough 2019Behavioral Health Care And Firearm Suicide: Do States With Greater Treatment Capacity Have Lower Suicide Rates?

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