Role of Firearm Ownership on 2001–2016 Trends in U.S. Firearm Suicide Rates

Background: Evidence on youth suicides from Southeastern Europe is scarce. We are not aware of previous reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which experienced war from 1992 to 1995. Durkheim’s theory of suicide predicts decreased suicide rates in wartime and increased rates afterward. Aims: To compare child and adolescent suicides in Bosnia and Herzegovina before and after the war. Methods: Data on youth suicide for prewar (1986–90) and postwar (2002–06) periods were analyzed with respect to prevalence, sex and age differences, and suicide methods. Suicide data from 1991 through 2001 were not available. Results: Overall youth suicide rates were one-third lower in the postwar than in the prewar period. This effect was most pronounced for girls, whose postwar suicide rates almost halved, and for 15–19-year-old boys, whose rates decreased by about a one-fourth. Suicides increased among boys aged 14 or younger. Firearm suicides almost doubled proportionally and were the predominant postwar method, while the most common prewar method had been hanging. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate the need for public education in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the role of firearm accessibility in youth suicide and for instructions on safe storage in households. Moreover, raising societal awareness about suicide risk factors and suicide prevention is needed.

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Firearms and Suicide in Australia

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.3109/00048679009062906 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 500-509 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Christopher H. Cantor ◽

Terry Lewin

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Suicide Rate ◽

Regional Analysis ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cultural Attitudes ◽

Young Males ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Firearm Suicide ◽

Proportional Increase ◽

Using Data

Australia has a moderate overall suicide rate but an extremely high male firearm suicide rate. Using data covering the years 1961–1985, a series of multiple regression based analyses were performed. During this period, overall suicide rates fell but firearm suicides remained constant with a resulting increase in the proportion of suicides by firearms. There has been an increase in suicides in the young offset by a decline in the elderly. Young males showed the greatest proportional increase in the use of firearms. A limited regional analysis supported the hypothesis that lack of legislative restrictions on long guns in Queensland with a greater household prevalence of such weapons and different cultural attitudes were associated with higher overall and firearm suicide rates. Such findings are consistent with reports from North America, although trends in Australia are more modest. Reducing the availability and cultural acceptance of firearms is likely to decrease suicide rates, especially in males.

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The role of restricting access to potentially lethal medication in suicide prevention

Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention ◽

10.1093/med/9780198834441.003.0078 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 709-712

Author(s):

Cyril Höschl ◽

Pavla Čermáková

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Suicide Methods ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Life Saving ◽

Health Strategy ◽

Treatment Of Depression ◽

Restrictive Measures ◽

Lethal Means

Overdose with medications is a common method of suicide. Reviews of suicide prevention strategies confirmed that restricting access to lethal means is effective in preventing suicides. Nevertheless, there have not been any randomized controlled trials, proving that restriction of the access to toxic medications decreases suicide rates. Existing evidence is based mainly on observational, ecological, and cohort studies. Factors such as better mental health conditions, effective treatment of depression, and improvement in socioeconomic status, may also contribute to decreasing suicide rates. Restrictive measures will have a large effect if the respective method is frequent and lethal. Although there are some concerns about substitution of suicide methods if access to a specific drug is restricted, many studies suggest a life-saving potential. Restrictive measures represent an effective and feasible public health strategy for suicide prevention, particularly in individuals that carry out briefly planned impulsive acts, and in combination with other interventions.

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Suicide Rates in Canada before and after Tightening Firearm Control Laws

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1993.72.3.787 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 787-790 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

David Lester ◽

Antoon Leenaars

Keyword(s):

Suicide Rate ◽

Gun Control ◽

Easy Access ◽

Control Laws ◽

Good Opportunity ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Before And After ◽

Firearm Suicide ◽

Firearm Control ◽

Methods Of Suicide

In Canada, Bill C-51 was implemented in 1977 to restrict the use of firearms, providing a good opportunity to study the effects of gun control laws in the use of firearms for suicide. The present study examined the use of guns for suicide during the period prior to the bill and during the period after the passing of Bill C-51 to assess the association of the bill with suicide rates. Analysis showed a significant decreasing trend after passage of Bill C-51 on the firearm suicide rate in Canada and the percentage of suicides using firearms. The analysis supports the position that restricting easy access to lethal methods of suicide may assist in reducing suicide.

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Psychiatrie In-Patient Suicide Rates: A 21-Year Study

Medicine Science and the Law ◽

10.1177/002580249703700304 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 202-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

T Ganesvaran ◽

A K Shah

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicide Rate ◽

Hospital Death ◽

Upward Trend ◽

Patient Suicide ◽

Significant Upward Trend ◽

Mental Health Act ◽

Suicide Rates

Psychiatric in-patient suicides were traced from the hospital death register for the 21-year period 1973 to 1993. Suicide rates for each of the 21 years were calculated and an overall rate of 3.68 per 1,000 admissions was found. Suicide rates for the period after 1987 were significantly lower than for the period before 1987. However, there was a significant upward trend during the last three years of the study period. The role of the new Mental Health Act (introduced in 1987) on reducing the suicide rate and the effects of the amalgamation of three hospitals on increasing the rate are discussed.

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Male suicide rates in German prisons and the role of citizenship

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0178959 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. e0178959 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Daniel Radeloff ◽

Thomas Lempp ◽

Mattias Kettner ◽

Amna Rauf ◽

Katharina Bennefeld-Kersten ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicide Rates ◽

Male Suicide

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The role of climate in human aggression and violence: Towards a broader conception

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x16001230 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sander L. van der Linden

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behaviour ◽

Self Control ◽

Psychological Processes ◽

Human Aggression ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Self Harm

AbstractThe psychological processes that predict aggressive behaviour are also typically associated with violent self-harm (e.g., poor self-control). Yet, although human violence (towards others) appears to increase with proximity to the equator, suicide rates tend to decrease. In the light of this empirical puzzle, I argue that Van Lange et al.'s CLASH model would benefit from a broader conceptualization of human aggression.

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