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Firearms and Suicide in the United States
In 2000, there were 28,663 firearm-related deaths in the United States: 16,586 (58%) were suicides. Of the remainder, 11,071 (39%) were homicides (including 270 deaths due to legal intervention) and 1,006(4%) were undetermined/unintentional firearm deaths.
CDC/National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 16, September 16, 2002, p. 69.
In the United States in 2000, 64% of all homicides and 57% of all suicides resulted from the use of a firearm.
CDC/National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 16, September 16, 2002, p. 44.
Firearm suicide attempts result in death in approximately 85% of cases. In contrast, nonfatal firearm assaults outnumber gun homicides by a ratio of 4:1. More than 16 cases of nonfatal, unintentional gunshot injuries occur for every unintentional shooting death.
The rate of death from firearms in the United States is eight times higher than that in its economic counterparts in other parts of the world.
Kellermann AL and Waeckerle JF. Preventing Firearm Injuries. Ann Emerg Med July 1998;32: 77-79.
Males are 7 times as likely as females to kill themselves with a gun. In 2000, the rate was 10.7/100,000 for males and 1.5/100,000 for females.
For white males, the risk of suicide by firearms increases dramatically over age 70, with the highest rates among men aged 85 and older (44.3/100,000). The overall firearm suicide rate for white males in 2000 was 11.9/100,000. For black males, the overall rate was 5.8/100,000, with rates approaching those for white males in the 15-29 age ranges.
CDC/National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No.16, September 16, 2002, p. 76.
The suicide rate for all U.S. youth aged 10-19 increased from 1980-1995, and more than doubled among youth aged 10-14. Suicide rates among black youth showed the sharpest increase during this period, approaching the rate for white youth. Firearm-related suicides accounted for 96% of the increase in the suicide rate for blacks aged 10-19.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC), March 20, 1998, pp. 193-196.
A California study found that in the first year after the purchase of a handgun, suicide was the leading cause of death among handgun purchasers, accounting for 24.5% of all deaths and 51.9% of deaths among women 21 to 44 years old.
In the first week after the purchase of a handgun, the rate of suicide by firearms among purchasers was 57 times as high as the adjusted rate in the general population. This population remained at increased risk for suicide by firearm for up to 6 years.
Wintemute GJ, Parham CA, Beaumont JJ, Wright M, and Drake C.
Mortality among recent purchasers of handguns. NEJM 1999; 341: 1583-1589.
11/1/02
www.helpnetwork.org
The HELP Network
Firearms and Suicide in the United States
http://www.helpnetwork.org/frames/resources_factsheets_suicide2.pdf
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