THE GROWING USE OF FIREARMS BY SUICIDAL OLDER WOMEN, 1979-1992 - A RESEARCH NOTE

Suicide among older women (65 +) has received very Little attention de spite increasing numbers of suicides in this population, An examinatio n of national mortality data from the National Center for Health Stati stics for the years 1979 through 1992 shows an increasing trend in rat es of suicide among older women and a declining trend among women unde r 65. Over the 14-year period, firearms replaced poisoning as the most prevalent method of suicide by women 65 and over. The results seem co nsistent with the assertion that the availability, familiarity, and cu ltural acceptability of firearms may play a role in the choice of suic ide method among older women. Although violent death and the use of fi rearms are generally associated with males in our society, the trends reported here indicate that greater attention to firearm suicides amon g older women is warranted.