Half of all suicides in the U.S involve a firearm that was mostly purchased years earlier, suggesting that improved gun safety in the home should be a national priority. Final line of defense in suicide prevention is reducing access to the most lethal methods for suicide.
Suicide mortality can be reduced by a Federally coordinated approach that has been proven scientifically, reveals a new study from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Columbia researchers J. John Mann, MD, //Christina A. Michel, MA, and Randy P. Auerbach, PhD, conducted a systematic review, determining which suicide prevention strategies work and are scalable to national levels.
‘Half of all suicides in the U.S involve a firearm that was mostly purchased years earlier, suggesting that improved gun safety in the home should be a national priority. Final line of defense in suicide prevention is reducing access to the most lethal methods for suicide.’
The study, "Improving Suicide Prevention Through Evidence-Based Strategies: A Systematic Review," was published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.The researchers found that screening school children or the general population for those at risk for suicide--the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. with 48,344 suicide deaths in 2018--have generally not reduced suicide rates.
The outstanding exception is training primary care physicians in depression recognition and medication treatment. That approach prevents suicide, often halving the risk.
While educating the public about depression and suicidal behavior has not been shown to prevent suicidal behavior in adults, educating high school students prevents suicidal behavior, though educating their teachers or parents does not.
"Timing is everything," said Dr. Mann. "Active outreach to psychiatric patients after discharge or following a suicidal crisis both prevent suicidal behavior."
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The study found that the final line of defense in suicide prevention is reducing access to the most lethal methods for suicide. Half of all suicides in the United States involve a firearm that was mostly purchased years earlier, suggesting that improved gun safety in the home should be a national priority.
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"It is time to use this knowledge and implement a national suicide prevention plan, " said Dr. Mann.
Source-Eurekalert