Gun-related suicides in the United States have reached record highs for three consecutive years, with about 58% of all gun deaths in 2023 attributed to suicide, according to a recent report from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Alarmingly, this translates to an American using a gun to take their own life every 19 minutes, underscoring the severity of the mental health crisis linked to firearm access.
The study reveals stark disparities in gun suicide rates, noting that rural areas experience significantly higher rates than urban locales, with Wyoming having a tenfold increase compared to Massachusetts. As researchers call for policies to restrict access to firearms for those at risk, these findings highlight an urgent need to address both the availability of guns and the mental health challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including a dramatic rise in firearm suicides among Black and Hispanic youth over the past decade.
Read full story at www.victoriaadvocate.com
