Preventing suicide by limiting access to guns
Roughly half of those who die by suicide in the U.S. use a firearm. That’s why reducing access to lethal means is key to reducing suicides, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Catherine Barber.
Black people more than three times as likely as white people to be killed during a police encounter
Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than whites to be killed by police.
Engaging with gun rights advocates on suicide prevention
Morissa Sobelson Henn, DrPH ’19, works with gun rights advocates on suicide prevention in Utah.
Counseling parents on safe storage of guns and medications may help prevent youth suicide
Reducing a suicidal person’s access to the most lethal methods, particularly firearms, can play an important role in preventing deaths.
Experts welcome new federal funding for gun research
In December, Congress voted to approve $25 million for gun violence research. Experts hope the new funding will shed light on questions about gun ownership and the effectiveness of firearm policies and violence prevention efforts. The new funding…
Access to guns contributes to rise in teen suicides
A 50% increase in youth suicides in Florida over the past decade has been fueled, in part, by young people’s access to guns, according to a December 30, 2019 article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The article…
Does creating gun-free zones increase safety?
Some communities have designated certain public spaces, like courthouses and municipal buildings, as gun-free zones. But experts say there’s no conclusive evidence as to whether establishing such zones increases safety. A December 4, 2019 story on WAMU (Washington,…
How a database helps prevent violent deaths
Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) has been crucial in helping policymakers, health care workers, and researchers understand more about what leads to violent deaths, including homicides and suicides,…
Locking up firearms—although imperfect—can reduce gun-related deaths, injuries
Many products used to store or secure guns are poorly made and easy to break into, and standards for gun safe security are inadequate, according to experts. A September 27, 2019 Undark article described how some gun safes…
Teams of health professionals, gun owners work to prevent gun suicides
In various locations around the country, public health professionals have partnered with gun owners to develop strategies aimed at reducing gun suicides. For example, a team in Bend, Ore., including a family doctor and rural firearm owners, created…