Source: Department of Health and Human Services

In the United States, the debate about firearms continues. There have been frequent mass shootings, and each one leads to a renewal of the discussion about what kinds of regulations should be placed on people’s ability to purchase and use firearms.

This is a complex topic, and I should say up front that I do not have any proposals about how to address the issue of gun violence in the United States. As a researcher, however, I do believe that data should be used in this conversation to aid policy makers as they discuss these issues. In a previous blog post, I addressed the claim that violent video games are likely to be a significant determinant of whether someone engages in violent actions in the world. The evidence for a link between violent actions and playing violent video games is weak.

Over the years, another comment I have heard by many people arguing about gun rights relates to suicide. People arguing in favor of gun rights argue that even if firearms were banned, the people who commit suicide using firearms would find another way to do it. On this view, suicides should not be considered by policy makers discussing the regulation of firearms, though suicide should be discussed when considering mental health issues in the United States.

Suicide is a significant problem in the United States. Overall, we rank about 27th in the world in our suicide rate. Differences between countries in suicide rate are driven by many factors including levels, economic conditions, and access to mental health resources.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 39,773 deaths from firearms in the United States in 2017. That works out to roughly 108 gun deaths per day. Of these, about 60% (or about 65 per day) are suicides.

There is good reason to believe that if guns were less available in the United States, the suicide rate would be lower. To see why, I bring together several sources of evidence. There is an excellent review article in the American Journal of Public Health by Michael Lewiecki and Sara Miller that goes through a similar argument in detail.

First, the various methods people use to take their own life are differentially effective. Studies suggest that guns are the most effective means of committing suicide and are more than two times more effective than any other technique. Thus far fewer people who attempt suicide by means other than firearms succeed in their attempt.

Second, suicide is often an impulsive act (particularly in men). Firearms support impulsive suicide attempts, because they provide a lethal means of committing suicide that can be accessed with very little planning. Many other means for committing suicide require more \ planning, which provides more opportunities for people to reconsider impulsive actions.

Third, if someone attempts suicide once and does not succeed, there is a significant chance that they will not try again. Some people who attempt suicide regret the attempt. Others get the treatment and support they need to help them grapple with the factors that led to the suicide attempt. Thus, if people who attempt suicide do so with relatively non-lethal means there is a higher probability that they will fail in their attempt, and there is a significant chance they will not try again.

When someone is experiencing severe and is engaging in significant thoughts of killing themselves (what clinicians call ideation), friends and family should work to ensure that person’s environment is free of firearms. Reduced access to firearms reduces the depressed person’s ability to kill themselves successfully.

Overall, the evidence argues strongly against the assertion that if guns were not easily accessible that people who want to commit suicide would just find another way.

My aim in sharing these data is not to make a particular argument about gun control. Instead, I want to share information that can be used by policy makers as they address the many intersecting issues surrounding the role of firearms in America.

Finally, if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide and does not know where to turn, they should call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255. This line is answered 24 hours a day.