Household Gun Ownership and Youth Suicide Rates at the State Level, 2005–2015

Abstract

Introduction: Determining whether the prevalence of gun ownership is associated with youth suicide is critical to inform policy to address this problem. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the prevalence of household gun ownership in a state and that state's rate of youth suicide. Methods: This study, conducted in 2018, involved a secondary analysis of state-level data for the U.S. using multivariable linear regression. The relationship between the prevalence of household gun ownership and youth (aged 10-19 years) suicide rates was examined in a time-lagged analysis of state-level household gun ownership in 2004 and youth suicide rates in the subsequent decade (2005-2015), while controlling for the prevalence of youth suicide attempts and other risk factors. Results: Household gun ownership was positively associated with the overall youth suicide rate. For each 10 percentage point increase in household gun ownership, the youth suicide rate increased by 26.9% (95% CI=14.0%, 39.8%). Conclusions: Because states with high levels of household gun ownership are likely to experience higher youth suicide rates, these states should be especially concerned about implementing programs and policies to ameliorate this risk.

Effect of firearms legislation on suicide and homicide in Canada from 1981 to 2016

“…Model 2 contained the variables in Model 1 plus variables for alcohol consumption, unemployment rates, percent aboriginal population, and percentage of low income persons. These variables were examined as they have been included in regression models in previous studies as potentially associated with suicide rates [9,10,20]. The procedure of principal components was used to create a single variable containing the three variables as there existed a high degree of collinearity between variables.…”

“…Other studies have shown an association between an increase in suicide rates and an increase in rates of poverty, alcohol consumption, and unemployment [10]. Interestingly, Knopov et al also found a positive association between suicide rates and the percentage of Aboriginal population per State in the United States [9]. In Canada, suicide rates amongst aboriginal people are 2 to 3 times higher than non-Indigenous Canadians and suicide rates amongst the Inuit in Northern Canada are the highest in the world at 10 times the overall rate for Canada [29].…”

“…This is the first use of licensing data to examine the relationship between firearms prevalence and suicide in Canada, however many categorical studies demonstrating a relationship have been produced in the United States [23]. For instance, Knopov et al using survey data as a proxy for prevalence determined an association between firearms prevalence and youth suicide rates after controlling for a number of social economic factors [9]. There is considerable debate about the validity of proxies used for firearm prevalence in the United States and this may affect the validity of the results depending on the measure used [27,28].…”

“…These studies may be subject to error as they examined post legislation trends over only a 5 and 8 year time span or did not control for any potential confounding variables that have shown to be associated with suicide in previous studies, such as poverty rates, percentage of Native American population, unemployment rates, and alcohol use [9,10]. In addition, no previous studies have examined the implementation of psychological screening that was introduced in 1994, and firearms licensing implemented in 2001 in Canada.…”

State handgun purchase age minimums in the US and adolescent suicide rates: regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences analyses

“…Firearms are common in US households, with 41% of Americans reporting living in a household with a gun in 2017 4. Firearms are a particularly lethal method of suicide attempts,5 and access to firearms is associated with increased deaths from suicide 678. Firearm purchases have been specifically related to suicide—one study found the risk of suicide by firearms to be 57 times greater among Californians who had purchased a handgun in the past week compared with that in the general population of adults in the state 9.…”