Characteristics of adult male and female firearm suicide decedents: findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System

Abstract

These findings challenge the conventional view that those who are severely depressed and suicidal are prone to highly lethal methods, such as firearms. Rather, firearms users may be reacting to acute situations.

Seriousness and lethality of attempted suicide: A systematic review

“…Other methods traditionally considered highly dangerous are poisoning with gases (Elnour & Harrison, 2008), jumping from heights (Abrams, Marzuk, Tardiff, & Leon, 2005), drowning (Miller et al, 2004) and motor vehicle exhaust (Spittal et al, 2012), while poisoning with drugs, pill overdose and other poisons are usually more common in suicide attempts than in complete suicide (Elnour & Harrison, 2008;Fox & Weissman, 1975;Miller et al, 2004;Spicer & Miller, 2000). With regard to gender differences, men usually use more lethal means than women (Cibis et al, 2009): in fact, men tend to use, above all, firearms (Cattell, 2000;Kaplan et al, 2009), while women most often employ self-poisoning (Cattell, 2000;Chen, Park, & Lu, 2009). In addition, elderly people tend to adopt more violent methods as impulsive and aggressive subjects (Dumais et al, 2005).…”

“…This disparity is probably due, in part, to the difference in suicide methods employed by males and females. In fact, females rarely use violent suicide methods and display a significant linear trend for nonviolent completed suicide after one suicide attempt, and even more significantly after repeated attempts (Brådvik, 2007;Kaplan et al, 2009). Furthermore, a shift from only nonviolent suicide attempts to completed violent suicide is significantly more common in men than in women (Brådvik, 2007).…”

“…As for the method of suicide, elderly people, especially males, tend to use more drastic and effective means to kill themselves than younger age groups, with a preference for firearms and hanging (Cattell, 2000;Frierson, 1991;Kaplan, McFarland, & Huguet, 2009;McIntosh & Santos, 1986;O'Connell et al, 2004), but method-specific case fatality is generally higher in males and older individuals for all employed methods of suicide (Elnour & Harrison, 2008;Miller, Azrael, & Hemenway, 2004). The seriousness of suicidal acts in the elderly is further exacerbated by the fact that there are fewer warnings of suicidal intent (Conwell et al, 1998): despite the assumption that hopelessness and suicidality are natural and understandable consequences of the aging process, the prevalence of suicidal feelings of forlornness and despair is lower than in the other age groups.…”

The link between posttraumatic stress disorder and firearm violence: A review

“…It is important to note that a large portion of completed suicides involve firearms. Of the 25,491 adult suicides captured by the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) between 2003 and 2006, 52% involved firearms (Kaplan, McFarland, & Huguet, 2009). Firearm-related suicides were disproportionately high among Veterans, with 69% of Veteran suicides in the study involving firearms.…”

A Comparison of Suicides and Undetermined Deaths by Poisoning among Women: An Analysis of the National Violent Death Reporting System

“…This study examines 4,032 female decedents 15 and older in 16 United States. Demographic characteristics and circumstances preceding death identified in previous research as suicide risk factors (Kaplan, McFarland, & Huguet, 2009;Murphy, 1998;National Research Council, 2002;Ortega & Karch, 2010) or as common characteristics associated with undetermined death (Bohnert, McCarthy, Ignacio et al, 2013;Breiding & Wiersema, 2006;Gray, Coon, McGlade et al, 2014;Gunnell, Bennewith, Simkin et al, 2013;Huguet, Kaplan, & McFarland et al, 2012;Lindqvist & Gustafsson, 2002;Rockett, Samora, & Coben, 2006;Sorenson, Shen, & Kraus, 1997) were included in the analysis.…”