If you or someone you know needs support or mental health resources, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.
More women in the U.S. are using firearms in suicide deaths, a new federal report says.
Firearms were used in more than half the country’s record 49,500 suicide deaths in 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. Traditionally, men die by suicide at a much higher rate than women, and they often do so using guns. The CDC report published Thursday, however, found firearms were the leading means of suicide for women since 2020, and suicide deaths overall among women also increased.
Firearms have been the primary means for most suicide deaths in the U.S. Guns stored in homes, especially those not stored securely, are linked to higher levels of suicide.
For this reason, it’s important to teach gun owners about safe storage to prevent people from having immediate access to a loaded weapon, said Bernert, who is also a Stanford Medicine professor. Restricting access to “lethal means,” she said, is among “the most potent suicide prevention strategies that exist worldwide.”
The problem, Bernert said, is such restrictions tend to be “vastly underutilized and poorly understood as a public health strategy.”
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
The CDC report didn’t examine risk factors, and the causes for any suicide death are complex.
Studies have shown that women and girls tend to have more suicidal ideation, attempts and self-injury. Men and boys are more likely to use lethal means such as firearms and, therefore, have much higher rates of suicide. Researchers have called this the “gender paradox.”
Hyeouk Chris Hahm, associate dean for research at Boston University School of Social Work, said the COVID-19 pandemic placed increased burdens on women – with job losses and an increased need to care for children and family members. That spurred feelings of stress and isolation, she said. During the pandemic, gun sales also increased dramatically, especially among women.
Under these circumstances, women’s thoughts of suicide may have moved into new territory.
“Women are the ones who now have guns,” Hahm told USA TODAY. “When they have the similar ideation, they have access.”
Access to firearms increases the chances of a suicide attempt becoming lethal, she said.
Suicide deaths have risen for more than two decades, reaching rates the country has not seen since the Great Depression, said Matthew Garnett, an author of the CDC report from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2022, the age-adjusted rate reached a record 14.2 deaths per 100,000 people, with a rate of 23 among men and 5.9 among women. Provisional data show the rising numbers appeared to persist in 2023.
Suicides have increased among women ages 74 and younger. The number of younger people dying by suicide had been on the rise, but that trend appears to have been waning in recent years.
Suicide rates have been increasing about 2% each year since 2000 after many years of decline, said Jeremy Pettit, executive director of Florida International University’s Center for Children and Families, which provides mental health services and research. White men and Native American men tend to have the highest suicide rates. The rates have been increasing among people from racial and ethnic minority groups and women. For women, the rate increased by 4% in 2022 from the previous year.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of concern and desire to understand what might be driving some of the faster increases in those groups,” Pettit said. He said officials should look at risks that contribute to increases among women and minorities, as well as the extent to which people feel connection or belonging.
Pettit emphasized that suicide is preventable. Making prevention a reality requires broader awareness, whether people need access to the 988 crisis lifeline, a primary care doctor or a mental health specialist, or ways to connect with others through social networks.
Public health professionals must work to build social connections and help people in crises develop a sense of belonging and community, he said. Even short-term interventions that increase a person’s sense of meaning and purpose can be crucial, since suicidal crises are time-limited. That includes reducing access to lethal weapons when a person is in crisis.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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