Colorado has one of many highest suicide charges within the nation, at 20.9 per 100,000 in 2023. Of the state’s 940 gun deaths that 12 months, practically 72% have been by suicide.
Nationally, firearms are the main reason behind loss of life for American youth ages 1 to 17. Greater than 1 in 4 youth firearm deaths nationwide are because of suicide, with a mum or dad’s firearm most frequently the weapon used.
Firearm-related accidents and suicide each are extremely delicate and stigmatized subjects that many individuals are reluctant to speak about, but each are main public well being issues with options for prevention.
Lifesaving conversations
As an emergency room doctor in Denver, I’ve realized tips on how to discuss to my sufferers about firearms and suicides. On each single shift, I look after adults with suicide danger. I all the time discuss with them and their households about decreasing entry to firearms at house, comparable to giving management of the locking machine to a member of the family or briefly storing weapons away from houses.
Analysis reveals that these conversations could scale back suicide danger and that sufferers are open to them.
Working within the emergency room has proven me that everybody goes via powerful occasions. Sadly, though there’s no disgrace in asking for assist, individuals could also be reluctant to share what they’re going via or to hunt psychological well being or medical care.
A latest article about adults who died by suicide discovered that those that used a firearm have been much less prone to have used psychological well being care companies within the 12 months earlier than loss of life. Primarily based on analysis like this, and my 20 years within the ER, I firmly imagine that we are able to’t go away firearm suicide prevention to clinicians alone. Reasonably, firearm suicide prevention efforts must occur in nonclinical areas with “trusted messengers” from the firearms or local people. This is likely to be notably helpful for males, who historically have been much less prone to search psychological well being assist.
The neighborhood’s function in firearm suicide prevention
Along with seeing sufferers, I’m additionally a suicide prevention researcher and the founding director of the Firearm Damage Prevention Initiative on the College of Colorado, the place we use analysis, schooling and collaboration to deliver evidence-based options to communities.
Firearm suicide deaths are preventable, and the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis and American Basis for Suicide Prevention emphasize that anybody can be taught to “have a brave conversation” about firearms and suicide. To be clear: This strategy isn’t advocating for firearm confiscation. And it’s not about implying that firearms trigger suicide, or that folks with suicide danger don’t want entry to efficient assist for psychological sickness, substance use or social stressors. However there’s no hurt brought on by asking an individual in the event that they’re struggling, and it would assist.
A TedX discuss by the writer about weapons and suicide prevention.
Easy actions may help somebody get via a time of excessive danger of suicide and get the assist they want. Nobody – younger, outdated, city, rural, gun proprietor or not, with any political affiliation – needs to lose a cherished one to suicide. That’s one thing agreed on by the firearm business, well being care and public well being organizations and academia.
Firearm suicide is preventable
Suicide, notably by firearm, is usually preventable for a couple of causes.
First, whereas many suicide makes an attempt happen throughout the context of psychological sickness, short-term crises normally precipitate the try – issues such because the breakup of a romantic relationship, job loss, monetary stressors or bullying.
Second, research present that the time from deciding to aim suicide to truly taking motion may be as little as minutes to hours – and likewise that, amongst individuals who survive an try, the bulk don’t go on to die by suicide.
This mixture of impulsivity and ambivalence highlights why a protected atmosphere – with out entry to firearms or different deadly strategies – may be the distinction between life and loss of life for somebody in disaster. Firearms are a specific concern as a result of they’re so lethal – as much as 90% of suicide makes an attempt involving firearms finish in loss of life.
If a firearm isn’t accessible, even when an individual substitutes a distinct methodology – and most don’t – they’re extra prone to survive than in the event that they’d used the firearm. And whereas a previous suicide try is a danger issue for future suicide, solely about 10% of those that survive an try later die by suicide.
Easy steps for firearm suicide prevention
What does this imply for clinicians, households, buddies or neighborhood leaders?
It’s easy: Cut back firearm entry for individuals with suicide danger. This could imply safe, locked firearm storage, which limits unauthorized or unsupervised firearm entry. When the firearm proprietor is the one with suicide danger, they will hand over the important thing or PIN to the locking machine to a member of the family or good friend.
Many sorts of firearm locking units can be found, so there’s one thing for each house state of affairs. Firearms will also be briefly and voluntarily saved away from house at native gun retailers throughout a time of danger, or for different causes, comparable to house renovation, army deployment or journey.
There are a lot of methods to soundly retailer weapons, together with in safes and lockboxes.
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In Colorado, there are a number of suicide consciousness walks happening within the fall of 2025. On the CU medical campus, our group gives workshops to coach leaders from diversified fields and from throughout the state tips on how to construct firearm suicide prevention applications that work for his or her communities.
I usually say, “We all have a role in preventing firearm injury.” Mine is working in medical, analysis and neighborhood settings on evidence-based firearm suicide prevention applications.
What’s yours?
For an individual who’s combating their psychological well being – or for anybody apprehensive about them – the nationwide 988 hotline gives 24/7 free steerage by cellphone, textual content or net chat.
