Household Firearm Ownership and Suicide Rates in the United States

Author: Miller, M. / Azrael, D. / Hemenway, D.
Publication: Epidemiology
Link to Published Abstract
Topics: Age Group Gender Homicide Ownership Suicide U.S./National
Keywords: Adolescent Firearms Ownership Suicide UNITED States
Bibliographic information +

The authors used National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Files data for the nine regions and 50 states in the United States over a 10-year period (1988–1997) to examine the association between levels of household firearm ownership and rates of suicide, firearm suicide, and non-firearm suicide for seven age groups and by gender. They found that household firearm ownership is positively associated with suicide rates for all age groups and both genders, in regional as well as state-level analyses.