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More women in the United States are using guns to commit suicide, according to a new federal report.
More than half of the nation’s record 49,500 suicide deaths in 2022 involved firearms, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditionally, men die by suicide at a much higher rate than women, and they often use firearms to kill themselves. However, a CDC report released Thursday found that since 2020, firearms have been the primary means of suicide among women, and suicide deaths among women overall have also increased.
Firearms were the primary means of most suicide deaths in the United States. Guns kept in the home, especially those that are not stored securely, are associated with higher levels of suicide.
Rebecca Bernert, founder of the Stanford Suicide Prevention Institute, said in an email that increased use of firearms by women equates to an increased risk of suicide.
That’s why it’s important to teach gun owners how to safely store loaded weapons so they aren’t immediately accessible, said Bernert, who is also a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Restricting access to “lethal means” is one of “the most powerful suicide prevention strategies that exist around the world,” she said.
The problem is that such restrictions tend to be “underutilized and poorly understood as a public health strategy,” Bernert said.
Risk factors were not investigated in the CDC report, and the causes of suicide deaths are complex.
Research shows that women and girls are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, attempts, and self-harm. Men and boys have much higher suicide rates because they are more likely to use lethal means, such as firearms. Researchers call this the “gender paradox.”
Hyouk Chris Harm, associate dean for research at Boston University’s School of Social Work, said the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on women, including job loss and increased need to care for children and family members. said. She says it caused stress and feelings of isolation. Gun sales have also increased dramatically during the pandemic, especially among women.
Under these circumstances, women’s suicidal thoughts may have entered new territory.
“Women have guns now,” Harm told USA TODAY. “When they are like-minded, they have access.”
Access to firearms increases the likelihood that a suicide attempt will turn out to be fatal, she said.
Matthew Garnett, author of the CDC report from the National Center for Health Statistics, said the number of suicide deaths has been increasing for more than 20 years and has reached levels not seen in this country since the Great Depression. In 2022, the age-adjusted death rate reached a record high of 14.2 deaths per 100,000 people, with a rate of 23 deaths for men and 5.9 deaths for women. Preliminary data suggests this number will continue to increase in 2023.
Suicide among women under 74 is on the rise. The number of suicides among young people has been on the rise, but in recent years this trend has begun to show signs of slowing down.
Jeremy Pettit, executive director of the Florida International University Center for Children and Families, which provides mental health services and research, said suicide rates had been on the decline for years, but have increased by about 2 percent each year since 2000. White men and Native American men tend to have the highest suicide rates. Rates are increasing among people from racial and ethnic minority groups and among women. For women, the proportion in 2022 increased by 4% compared to the previous year.
“Obviously there’s a lot of concern and a desire to understand what’s causing the rapid increase in these groups,” Pettit said. He said authorities should consider the risks contributing to the rise in women and minorities, as well as the extent to which people feel connected and belonging.
Pettit emphasized that suicide is preventable. For prevention to become a reality, people need more help, whether they need access to a 988 crisis lifeline, a way to connect with others through their GP or mental health professional, or through social networks. Broad awareness is needed.
He said public health professionals need to build social connections and help people in crisis develop a sense of belonging and community. Because suicidal crises are time-limited, even short-term interventions that increase a person’s sense of meaning and purpose can be important. This includes reducing access to deadly weapons when people are in crisis.