Suicide

Introduction

The majority of people who experience suicidal despair do not go on to attempt or die by suicide. Hope and connection to resources are in our communities. If you are worried about yourself or someone else, please contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255.

Suicide is defined as a death caused by self-injury, where the intention is to die. A non-lethal suicide attempt is when someone intends to end their life but does not die as a result (CDC, 2022a).

A firearm was used in more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States (AFSP, 2023). Firearms are the most lethal method of suicide, meaning that a person is much more likely to die from a suicide attempt using a firearm compared to other methods of suicide (Oh et al., 2014). Approximately half of suicide attempts occur within 10 minutes (or less) of the decision to attempt suicide (Deisenhammer, 2009). Studies have shown that a person in crisis who cannot access their chosen method of suicide will generally not substitute another method (Daigle, 2005). Therefore, given the lethality of firearms, reducing access to them during times of risk can be lifesaving.

Having access to a firearm in a home raises the risk of firearm suicide for everyone in the home, including the gun owner, their partner, their children, and anyone who stays in the home (AFSP, 2023). This increased risk is not because people in homes with firearms are more likely to have suicidal crises —rather, it is that people in homes with firearms are more likely to use a firearm in a suicide attempt (and are therefore more likely to die). 

Every community is affected by firearm suicide, but some groups have higher rates than others; these groups include adults 75 years or older, American Indian or Alaska Native populations, non-Hispanic white populations, and Veterans and service members (CDC, 2022b). In 2020, firearms were more commonly used in Veterans’ suicides (71.0%) than non-veterans (50.3%) (US Veterans Affairs, 2022).

Scope of the problem in Colorado 

• Since 2016, suicide death rates in Colorado have not statistically changed for any age group (OSP, 2022).
  In Colorado, 71.8% of firearm deaths are suicides (CDPHE, 2022)
  Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in Colorado. Firearms are the leading method (NCHS, 2023).
  56.7% of male and 30.7% of female suicide deaths in 2021 in Colorado were by firearm (CDPHE, 2022).
  Colorado’s rate of firearm suicide is the 10th highest in the country (CDC WONDER, 2022).
  Males account for nine out of 10 youth firearm suicide deaths (CDC WONDER, 2022).

Prevention Approaches

Firearm suicide is preventable. Reducing firearm access and storing firearms securely, particularly during periods of crisis, can decrease the risk of suicide. For more information, see:

• Lethal means safety counseling
• Secure firearm storage
• Temporary out-of-home storage
• Gun Shop Project and retailer partnerships
   

References

1. AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), 2023. Firearms and suicide prevention. Accessed April 3, 2023.
2. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2022a. Facts About Suicide. Accessed April 3, 2023.
3. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2022b. Fast Facts: Firearm Violence Prevention. Accessed April 3, 2023.
4. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) WISQARS. Fatal Injury Reports, Firearm Suicide, Ages <18, All Races, 2001-2021.
5. CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment), 2022. Colorado Suicide Statistics. Accessed April 3, 2023.
6. Conner, A., Azrael, D., and Miller, M. 2019. Suicide case-fatality rates in the United States, 2007 to 2014: A nationwide population-based study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 171(12), 885-895.
7. Deisenhammer, Eberhard A., et al. "The duration of the suicidal process: how much time is left for intervention between consideration and accomplishment of a suicide attempt?" Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 70.1 (2009): 19.
8. Daigle, M. S. (2005). Suicide prevention through means restriction: Assessing the risk of substitution: A critical review and synthesis. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 37(4), 625-632.
9. KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), 2022. Do States with Easier Access to Guns Have More Suicide Deaths by Firearm? Accessed April 3, 2023.
10. NCHS (National Center for Heath Statistics), 2023.  Accessed April 3, 2023.
11. NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics), 2021. Mortality Data on CDC WONDER: Underlying Cause of Death. Accessed April 3, 2023.
12. Oh, S.H., Lee, K.U., Kim, S.H., Park, K.N., Kim, Y.M. and Kim, H.J., 2014. Factors associated with the choice of high lethality methods in suicide attempters: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 8(1), pp.1-5.
13. OSP (Office of Suicide Prevention), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 2022. Annual Report FY 2021-22. Accessed October 10, 2023. 
14. Owens, D., Horrocks, J., & House, A., 2002. “Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm. Systematic review.” The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science, 181, 193–199.
15. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2022). National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report 2022. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2022/2022-National-Vet…