Suicide & Self Harm

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States with rates increasing over the past two decades. The rate of suicide is higher in rural areas, but a greater number of people in urban areas die by suicide; understanding risk factors for suicide in this context is critically important to public health. Additionally, while many studies have focused on individual-level risk factors, few studies have identified social or structural features associated with suicide or firearm suicide, especially among young people.

In this issue: Could firearm suicide risk be predicted at the time of firearm purchase, creating an opportunity to help those at risk? 
 

To determine the trends in domestic violence and firearm domestic violence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers used police-reported crime data from Jan. 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2020. The onset of the pandemic was considered to be Mar. 20, 2020. The cities examined were Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; and Nashville, TN. 

In this issue: September is Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is devastating, and it has far-reaching effects that often impact entire communities. It is one of the most common acts of fatal violence and is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Over 48,000 Americans died by suicide in 2021. According to the U.S.

Suicide is a pressing public health problem, and firearm owners are at especially elevated risk. Certain health conditions are markers of suicide risk, but more research is needed on clinical risk markers for suicide among firearm owners specifically. Our goal was to examine associations of emergency department and inpatient hospital visits for behavioral and physical health conditions with firearm suicide among handgun purchasers.

In this issue: When we talk about gun violence, we often focus on the acute physical wounds that bullets leave behind, yet the psychological trauma from gun violence persists, ever present for those who experience it. As national firearm-related death rates continue to rise, so does the burden on our collective mental health, especially for those who survive, witness, or lose someone to gun violence. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to call attention to these sometimes-hidden outcomes.

One in five adults in California, or an estimated 6.5 million people, are concerned that someone they know, usually a friend or family member, is at risk of harming themselves or others, according to new research published in Preventive Medicine.

Of the people perceived to be at risk for harming others, an estimated 19% were said to have access to firearms. For those perceived to be at risk of harming themselves, that number was approximately 11%.

Suicide is a major public health problem with immediate and long-term effects on individuals, families, and communities. In 2020 and 2021, stressors wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home mandates, economic turmoil, social unrest, and growing inequality likely modified risk for self-harm. The coinciding surge in firearm purchasing may have increased risk for firearm suicide.