Relationships between firearm availability and suicide: The role of psychology.

Abstract

The causes and theoretical underpinnings of suicidal behavior are complex and multidimensional. A review of current research indicates a correlation between firearm availability and suicidal risk. Variables that contribute to this relationship are examined, including geographic location, legislative issues, impulsivity, and occupation. Reasons for considering this correlation as a social advocacy issue for psychologists are presented, and recommendations for the profession of psychology are described. These recommendations include potential empirical research areas, ways of incorporating the relationship between firearm availability and suicidal risk into doctoral training programs, and a variety of practice-related recommendations.

Suicide Prevention: An Issue of Social Justice

“…In 2018, there were 596 suicides by children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. More than 50% of suicides are carried out utilizing a firearm (Drapeau & McIntosh, 2020;Westefeld et al, 2016).…”

“…In addition to systemic suicide prevention strategies, individual assessment and psychotherapy are mechanisms for suicide prevention. Individual prevention strategies are centered around an understanding of suicide risk factors (e.g., hopelessness), a previous attempt, ideation, depression, history of trauma, family history, modeling/imitation of suicide, substance abuse, impulsivity, and firearm access (Bongar & Sullivan, 2013;Westefeld et al, 2000Westefeld et al, , 2016.…”

“…This will allow suicidology as a profession to respond more directly to the fact that suicide is in fact a social justice issue. Westefeld et al (2016) have written in detail about the relationship between firearm availability and suicidal risk, and state that based on an extensive literature review, there is a strong positive relationship between firearm access and suicidal risk. They posit that additional advocacy is urgently needed.…”

Suicide prevention and psychology: A call to action.

“…Psychologists should become involved in means restriction, a very important component of suicide prevention. Firearm availability and its relationship to suicidal risk has been examined in depth by Westefeld et al (2016). In this article, published in this journal, the authors make the point that the data are clear concerning a correlation between the availability of firearms and suicidal risk.…”

Associations of firearm dealer openings with firearm self-harm deaths and injuries: A differences-in-differences analysis

“…These relationships may apply to both legal and illegal transfers of firearms, as licensed dealers can be a source of straw purchases, in which an authorized purchaser buys on behalf of a prohibited person [ 14 ]. Suicides are particularly sensitive to firearm availability: greater firearm availability in the household or community, regardless of individual ownership, is associated with substantially increased risk of completed firearm suicide [ 4 , 11 , 15 , 16 ]. Taken together, this evidence suggests that, across communities, within-community increases in firearm dealer density may lead to new firearm purchases and higher levels of firearm ownership, which in turn may imply greater availability of firearms for suicide completions in moments of crisis.…”