Jurisdiction firearm prevalence and increasing suicide in United States adolescents and young adults

View Research paper here or at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41352988/

Abstract

Background: Globally, the United States (U.S.) has the second highest firearm suicide rate among adolescents and young adults. Identification of causes and implementation of prevention strategies are urgently needed.

Methods: Firearm prevalence was assessed in U.S. jurisdictions (states and District of Columbia) using two basic proxies: the proportion of suicides by firearm based on data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER and WISQARS databases, and the firearm background check rates provided by the National Instant Background Check System.

Results: In the U.S., adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 have experienced the largest increase in firearm suicide rates from 2010-2023 among all age groups, across both sexes, and with the sharpest increase in Black females. At the jurisdiction level, the 2022-2023 firearm suicide rate in the age group showed an exponential relationship with the proportion of suicides by firearm (ANOVA F = 42.3, p <<0.001), with females exhibiting a steeper increase. Similar correlations were observed with all background checks (F = 25.6, p <<0.001) including those for handgun (F = 28.1, p <<0.001) and long gun permits (F = 58.5, p <<0.001). Males, females, non-Hispanic Whites, and non-Hispanic Blacks in the age group all showed strong exponential correlations of firearm suicide rate with the firearm prevalence proxy (17.5 < F < 41.3, each p <<0.001). Hispanics also showed a significant, though weaker, correlation (F = 7.3, p = 0.01), and in recent years, the increase in firearm suicide rates among Whites and Hispanics has slowed.

Conclusions: In the U.S., the firearm suicide rate among those aged 10 to 24 years old- the group showing the greatest increase-are exponentially correlated with several firearm prevalence indicators, including handgun and long gun permit approvals. The association holds across both sexes and most racial/ethnicity groups. These associations implicate firearm prevalence and availability in enabling, promoting, and precipitating suicide among Americans as young as 10 years old. Since most firearm suicides in the age group occur in homes, an effective solution is to reduce and prevent firearms in homes and to secure storage of those that remain, including handguns, rifles and shotguns and their ammunition.