Firearms Availability and Suicide

Abstract

Case-control studies show an association between firearms in the home and completed suicide, with higher risks associated with loaded guns and handguns in the home. Quasi-experimental studies also show a relationship between greater restrictiveness of gun control laws and lower suicide rates by firearms and overall, although some studies fail to show an effect or show method substitution. A prospective study shows that handgun purchasers have an elevated risk for suicide for up to 6 years after the purchase. Relatively few studies have examined the impact of intervention to encourage families to store guns safely or remove firearms from the home on suicidal outcome.