Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics
Background and aimsThe U.S. suicide data show that use of lethal methods, specifically firearms and hanging/suffocation, has been increasing among young and middle-aged adults of both sexes over the past decades. In this study, we examined demographic and clinical correlates of use of firearms, hang...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.955008/full |
| _version_ | 1828098438867189760 |
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| author | Namkee G. Choi C. Nathan Marti Bryan Y. Choi |
| author_facet | Namkee G. Choi C. Nathan Marti Bryan Y. Choi |
| author_sort | Namkee G. Choi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and aimsThe U.S. suicide data show that use of lethal methods, specifically firearms and hanging/suffocation, has been increasing among young and middle-aged adults of both sexes over the past decades. In this study, we examined demographic and clinical correlates of use of firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning as suicide methods among suicide decedents age 18+.MethodsData came from the 2017-2019 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS; N = 94,454, age ≥ 18 at the time of suicide; 74,042 men and 20,412 women). We fit generalized linear models (GLMs) for a Poisson distribution with a log link to examine (1) changes in four suicide methods (firearms, hanging/suffocation, poisoning, and other) during the study period, controlling for sex and age group; and (2) correlates of firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning use.ResultsIn all age groups, 55% of men and 30% of women used firearms; 28% of men and 29% of women hanging/suffocation; 9% of men and 32% of women poisoning, and 8% of men and 9% of women “other” methods. Men age < 45 had higher likelihood of firearm and/or hanging/suffocation use than those age 45–64. Women age<45 also had higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation than those age 45–64. Prior suicide attempt history was associated with higher likelihood of poisoning in both sexes and hanging/suffocation in men; mental disorders/SUD were associated with higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation and poisoning in both sexes; physical health problems were associated with higher likelihood poisoning in both sexes and firearm use in men; relationship problems were associated with higher likelihood of firearm use; legal problems and job/financial/housing problems were associated with higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation in both sexes; and more crises were associated with higher likelihood of firearm use in both sexes.ImplicationsThe findings call for the following suicide prevention strategies: (1) restricted access to firearms; (2) improved access to mental health/substance use treatment; (3) improved long-term and palliative care services for those (mostly older adults) with physical health problems; (4) financial/housing support policies to mitigate economic hardship; and (5) more research to identify effective strategies to curtail the increasing use of firearm and hanging/suffocation among young and middle-aged adults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:01:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6494cb62702f4a4a88cd43425e62697a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:01:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6494cb62702f4a4a88cd43425e62697a2022-12-22T04:35:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-11-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.955008955008Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristicsNamkee G. Choi0C. Nathan Marti1Bryan Y. Choi2Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesSteve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and BayHealth, Dover, DE, United StatesBackground and aimsThe U.S. suicide data show that use of lethal methods, specifically firearms and hanging/suffocation, has been increasing among young and middle-aged adults of both sexes over the past decades. In this study, we examined demographic and clinical correlates of use of firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning as suicide methods among suicide decedents age 18+.MethodsData came from the 2017-2019 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS; N = 94,454, age ≥ 18 at the time of suicide; 74,042 men and 20,412 women). We fit generalized linear models (GLMs) for a Poisson distribution with a log link to examine (1) changes in four suicide methods (firearms, hanging/suffocation, poisoning, and other) during the study period, controlling for sex and age group; and (2) correlates of firearms, hanging/suffocation, and poisoning use.ResultsIn all age groups, 55% of men and 30% of women used firearms; 28% of men and 29% of women hanging/suffocation; 9% of men and 32% of women poisoning, and 8% of men and 9% of women “other” methods. Men age < 45 had higher likelihood of firearm and/or hanging/suffocation use than those age 45–64. Women age<45 also had higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation than those age 45–64. Prior suicide attempt history was associated with higher likelihood of poisoning in both sexes and hanging/suffocation in men; mental disorders/SUD were associated with higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation and poisoning in both sexes; physical health problems were associated with higher likelihood poisoning in both sexes and firearm use in men; relationship problems were associated with higher likelihood of firearm use; legal problems and job/financial/housing problems were associated with higher likelihood of hanging/suffocation in both sexes; and more crises were associated with higher likelihood of firearm use in both sexes.ImplicationsThe findings call for the following suicide prevention strategies: (1) restricted access to firearms; (2) improved access to mental health/substance use treatment; (3) improved long-term and palliative care services for those (mostly older adults) with physical health problems; (4) financial/housing support policies to mitigate economic hardship; and (5) more research to identify effective strategies to curtail the increasing use of firearm and hanging/suffocation among young and middle-aged adults.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.955008/fullsuicide methodsfirearmshanging/suffocationpoisoningmental disordersphysical health problems |
| spellingShingle | Namkee G. Choi C. Nathan Marti Bryan Y. Choi Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics Frontiers in Public Health suicide methods firearms hanging/suffocation poisoning mental disorders physical health problems |
| title | Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics |
| title_full | Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics |
| title_fullStr | Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics |
| title_short | Three leading suicide methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with decedents' demographic and clinical characteristics |
| title_sort | three leading suicide methods in the united states 2017 2019 associations with decedents demographic and clinical characteristics |
| topic | suicide methods firearms hanging/suffocation poisoning mental disorders physical health problems |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.955008/full |
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