Distinct groups of firearm owners with differential risk for suicide in the United States: A latent class analysis.

Suicide is a leading cause of mortality and firearm suicide accounts for the majority of fatalities. Firearm owners are a diverse population and firearm-specific suicide prevention programs should be tailored to distinct at-risk firearm-owning groups. This study set out to identify groups of firearm owners with differential suicide risk having unique characteristics that could be used to customize suicide prevention efforts. We conducted a nationally-representative survey of 2646 firearm owners to assess individual suicide risk, suicide risk factors, and demographic characteristics. A Latent Class Analysis identified unique segments of firearm owners at increased risk of suicide with similar underlying suicide risk factors and demographic characteristics. We found almost one in ten (9.6%) of firearm owners were at increased risk of suicide with 25% reporting suicide ideation, 6.6% reporting suicide planning, and 1.8% reporting previous suicide attempts. We identified three unique groups of firearm owners with higher than average suicide risk. Relative to other groups of firearm owners, one at-risk group were more affluent with a history of adverse experiences and mental health challenges, a second group had more male veterans with high levels of alcohol consumption, and third group had more non-heterosexual women who experienced trauma. We conclude that there are three unique groups of firearm owners with higher than average suicide risk with very different characteristics. In addition to broad suicide prevention efforts, customized firearm suicide prevention programs should be developed individually for these different firearm-owning populations, taking into consideration the unique suicide risk factors and demographics of each group.

Background Checks for all Gun Buyers and Gun Violence Restraining Orders: State Efforts to Keep Guns from High-Risk Persons.

There were more than 36,000 firearm-related deaths in the U.S. in 2015. Under federal law, a background check is required only for gun purchases from licensed dealers. Research suggests that some persons prohibited from owning a gun turn to private sellers, including those identified online, to attempt to obtain a firearm. State-level approaches to make it more difficult for high-risk persons to purchase or possess firearms include universal background check (UBC) and gun violence restraining order (GVRO) laws. UBC laws, on the books in 18 states as of the end of 2016, can reduce both homicide and suicide rates. After Colorado adopted a UBC law in 2013, the number of background checks conducted by private sellers for sales occurring at places other than gun shows steadily increased. GVRO laws give law enforcement and families the authority to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from an individual who presents a danger to himself or others during times of crisis, regardless of whether that person has been diagnosed with a mental illness. California enacted a GVRO law in 2014. Data are emerging to suggest the effectiveness of GVRO-type laws at averting suicides and providing an entryway to services.